Recipe: Cranberry-Pear Tart in a Walnut Shortbread Crust
For your baking pleasure! St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen (SJSK) recently served guests a Cranberry-Pear Tart in a Walnut Shortbread Crust baked from scratch from a volunteer’s personal favorites recipe; the original recipe is listed below. Enjoy!
Cranberry Pear Tart in a Walnut Shortbread Crust
Yields one 9-inch tart; serves eight to twelve
For the Walnut Shortbread Crust:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5-3/4 ounces (1-1/2 cups) of unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 pound (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
For the Cranberry-Pear Filling:
- 3 large ripe pears, such as Anjou or Bartlett
- 2 cups fresh cranberries, picked through and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
For the Buttery Brown Sugar Streusel:
- 1-3/4 ounces (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Make the crust:
- Position a rack near the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk, half-and-half, and vanilla.
- Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse until combined.
- Add the butter and pulse until the butter pieces are no longer visible.
- With the processor running, add the yolk mixture in a steady stream and then pulse until the moisture is fairly evenly dispersed, 10 to 20 seconds.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
- Using your hands, mix the chopped walnuts to distribute them evenly.
- The dough will be a mealy, crumbly mass.
- Pour the crumb mixture into a 9-1/2 inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
- Starting with the sides of the pan, firmly press the crumbs against the pan to create a crust about 1/4 inch thick.
- Press the remaining crumbs evenly agains the bottom of the pan.
- Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Bake until the sides just begin to darken and the bottom is set, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Make the filling:
- Peel the pears, quarter them lengthwise, core, and cut crosswire into 1/4 inch thick slices.
- In a food processor, coarsely chop the cranberries. In a medium bowl, mix the pears, cranberries, and brandy.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt; add to the cranberry-pear mixture, tossing to combine.
- Spoon the filling into the pan-baked crust, leveling the filling and packing it down slightly with the back of a spoon.
Make the streusel and bake:
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and salt.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla. Combine with your fingers until the mixture begins to clump together in small pieces when pressed.
- Sprinkle the streusel over the filling, breaking it into smaller pieces if necessary.
- Bake at 350 degrees F until the fruit is tender when pierced with a fork and the streusel and the edges of the crust are golden brown, about 50 minutes.
- If the tart begins to get overly brown at the edges, cover with foil.
- Let the tart cool on a rack until it’s just barely warm before serving.
- The tart will keep, covered and at room temperature, for two to three days.
