Using my recipe for French Pastry, and Chef Mimi’s recipe for the tart filling, I made this chocolate pear tart. You do not need to poach your own pears as I did as canned pears will work just as well.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Chocolate Pear Tart ♥
The flavour profile of chocolate
The process of turning cocoa beans into chocolate is one of the factors that affects its taste. The wide variety of flavours can also be ascribed to where the beans grow, and how they are farmed. The fermentation process is what results in fruity or sherry-like flavour profiles. And the roasting process results in the chocolate being earthy, flowery, nutty, spicy, or woody. Chocolate tasting is done by placing a block of chocolate onto your tongue, pressing it to the roof of your mouth, and letting it melt. Sweeter chocolate shows its flavour profile quicker than dark chocolate, so be patient. Chocolate can be paired with many flavour profiles. Think of chocolate and almond; avocado chocolate mousse; banana cake with choc chips running through it, and beetroot and chocolate. Then there is chocolate and cherry; chocolate and chestnut; and my favourite, chocolate and ginger.
The flavour profile of pears
Pears hold on to their flavour profile even if cooked in some form or another. The most widely available pear in South Africa is the Packham’s Triumph which is perfect for poaching. It has a lovely sweetness to it, with a mild musky flavour. It is the sweetness of pears that make them the perfect match for strong cheeses or ingredients that are rich in tannin. Think of pears on a cheese board with blue cheese, or goats cheese. And of course, pears and chocolate like I have done here. As an alternative to melon, you can serve pears with proscuitto. If poaching pears in red wine, you might want to make a walnut crumble to top them. This will really bring out the flavour of the pears you are using.
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Chocolate Pear Tart ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
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Chocolate Pear Tart
Ingredients
for the pastry
- 115 g salted butter, softened
- 95 g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 hard boiled egg yolk
- 1 egg yolk
- 2.5 mls almond extract
- 200 g flour, plus extra for dusting
- semolina for dusting
for the tart
- 85 g 80% dark chocolate buttons
- 60 g butter
- 85 g raspberry jam
- 390 g poached pears, drained weight
- 2 eggs, separated
- 80 g fructose
- 1 egg yolk
Method
for the pastry
- Place the butter and sugar into a stand mixer bowl and beat until smooth
- Sieve the hard boiled egg yolk into a small mixing bowl, add the raw egg yolk and almond extract, and stir to combine
- Add to the stand mixer bowl, and beat until combined
- Add the flour and beat until the dough just starts coming together
- Bring the dough together with your hands, place onto a piece of cling film and shape into a ball
- Flatten the dough and cover completely with the cling film then place into the fridge for 1 hour
- Remove from the fridge and allow to soften slightly before rolling out into a disc, 5mm thick, on a lightly floured surface
- Spray a loose bottomed pie tin with baking spray then sprinkle a little bit of semolina on the bottom of the tin and ensure it covers it properly
- Line the bottom with baking paper then carefully place the pastry into the tin
- Press the pastry into the sides and the bottom of the tin, trim and place into the fridge for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 160° Celsius and place the tart tin onto a baking tray
- Place the baking tray into the oven and bake the pastry shell for 25 minutes
- Remove from the oven and cool in the tin to room temperature before adding your filling
for the tart
- Preheat the oven to 175° Celsius
- Place the chocolate and butter into a glass bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts until melted
- Stir to combine and set aside to cool
- Spread the jam on the bottom of the tart shell
- Place the pears into the tart shell, positioning the top of the pears on the outer edge of the shell, with the cut side down
- Fill the centre of the shell with any pears that are not perfectly formed, or cut to shape
- Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form
- Place the fructose and egg yolks into a large mixing bowl and whisk until pale and thick
- Pour the chocolate into the egg yolk mixture, and fold in to combine
- Add a third of the egg whites and fold to combine
- Then add the rest of the egg whites and fold in until fully incorporated
- Pour this over the pears and smooth the top
- Place the tart tin into the oven and bake for 30 minutes
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack
- When the tart is cool, remove from the tin and serve
See the links below for blog posts I published on August 22:
- 2023: Castagnole
- 2022: Roast Carrot Salad
- 2021: Walk In My Combat Boots
- 2018: Karoo Food
- 2016: Pistachio Honey Cake
- 2014: Black Cherry And Thyme Jam
- 2013: 5 Ounces
- 2012: Herb Crusted Pork Belly
My OH would love this
If I can make this on the barge I will invite you over for tea next year 🙂
That looks so tempting! I would love mine with a large scoop of chantilly cream.
That would be a great pairing 🙂
Great information about chocolate and an amazing looking tart. Yum!!
Thank you so much!
Wonderful!!! It looks so good.
Coming from you, that really means a lot!
sadly we do not get good pears here in queensland; i guess due to the heat and humidity and the fragility of the fruit. But we do get pears which would be good in cooking. I love this tart Tandy. CHocolate goes so well with everything!
I agree, chocolate is a great pairing (no pun intended) 🙂
Oh my! Tandy, this tart with pears resting on that jammy layer and chocolate on top, all nestled in buttery crust, sounds absolutely amazing!
Thanks Shashi 🙂
The combination of pears and chocolate sounds luxurious, and this tart looks amazing!
Thank you so much for the compliment 🙂
Your tart looks superb Tandy. I love using pears as often as I can for desserts as well.
Hope you give this one a try Pauline 🙂
Hi Tandy, this sounds delightful. I’m going to try this for my mom’s anniversary.
Let me know if she approves 🙂