Now the recipe that I was referring to used sliced and poached pear while I used fresh fruit wedges which I think tasted better as you could eat nice chunks of pear with creamy and smooth chocolate. You can check out the link mentioned above if you want a process for slicing and placing thin pear slices.Ingredients:Adapted minimally from this recipe (Serves 6)
For the crust (lightly adapted from Dorie Greenspan)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, very cold, cut into 16 pieces
1 cold egg, lightly beaten
For the filling
3 Pears (ripe and firm)
8 oz good semisweet chocolate
3/4 cups of heavy cream
1/4 sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar for sprinkle
Method:
Mix together flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
Cut butter into very small chunks. Add it to the dry ingredients and pulse it in a food processor so that butter and flour mix together.
It will still look crumbly. Add eggs and pulse the food processor again.
A dough will form. Take it out of the food processor and work it with hands on the kitchen counter. Knead the dough for a couple minutes until the crumbly mixture is nicely incorporated.
Take a tart pan and lightly press the dough into the tart pan. The dough should cover all the sides but not lose its crumbly texture. Try not to work it too much or the butter will start to melt. Place the tart pan in the freezer for 1/2 hour.
For the filling:
Preheat the oven to 375 deg. F
Peel, core and cut the pear into quarters. Cook it in a microwave until they are just about tender.
Take out and let it cool.
In a double broiler melt the chocolate with cream. Whisk thoroughly so that it all incorporates well.
Then add sugar to the chocolate and mix it till the sugar dissolves well.
Set it aside and let it cool.
Whisk egg and egg yolk in a mixer. Add vanilla beans or extract and mix it together.
Once the chocolate and cream mixture is cool enough pour it into the egg with mixer on medium low to combine everything together.
Take out the tart pan from the freezer. Arrange the pears and then pour the custard into the pan carefully not to pour on top of the pears but from the sides.
Place it into the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes but I start peeking after 40 minutes.
When the chocolate custard is puffed and set, its done. It should be a little firm to touch and slightly cracked from the edges.
Take it out and let it cool before serving, only if you can resist!
Via indiansimmer.com.