” November Pear-Pluot Tart” (When the going gets tough, the tough start baking!)

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In my house when the going gets a bit tough, I have an overwhelming urge to bake and bake and bake…the next few posts might be baked goods.

Lovely firm pears…juicy pluots…maple syrup and spelt flour all layered, sugared and baked in a short bread crust. Hello November….Hello Thanksgiving in Nashville, Tennessee….Hello?

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Below are step-by-steps….just in case….

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…..you want to make your own…right now…today..don’t you? It’s as Easy As This! Baking will make you feel better….I promise.

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Hello delicious.

November Pear-Pluot Tart

  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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Ingredients for Crust:

  • 2 cups spelt flour
  • 1 stick cold butter cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon ice cole water, if needed

Ingredients for Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons red currant jelly, melted to brush on crust
  • 3 ripe, but firm pears, cored, peeled and thickly sliced
  • 3 pluots or plums, cored and thickly sliced (or small tart apples)
  • 1/2 cup demerara or other dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
  • Grainy raw sugar to sprinkle over top of tart after baking

Directions:

  1. Place spelt flour in a food processor along with the butter pieces and vanilla bean powder. Process until mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add maple syrup and egg yolk. Process until a dough forms. (Add ice water if needed)  Remove dough from food processor and form into a flatten disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
  2. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a large round. Fit into a 9 inch springform pan, folding extra dough to inside to form a thicker crust all around. Prick the bottom of the crust and chill for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. When filling ingredients are ready remove tart shell from the refrigerator and spread the bottom with the melted red currant jelly.
  5. Fill tart shell with fruit, and then sprinkle the demerara sugar over the fruit. Top with butter pieces.. Bake until fruit is fork tender, not mushy, about 40 minutes. Fruit will begin to caramelize just a bit. Remove from oven and dust with grainy raw sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Notes: You can make this tart with all pears or pears and apples as well. Great Holiday dessert.

Teresa Blackburn     http://www.teresablackburnfoodstyling.com

19 thoughts on “” November Pear-Pluot Tart” (When the going gets tough, the tough start baking!)

  1. I love that you used spelt flour for this tart…I have never baked with it. This looks so delicious and very comforting Teresa!
    What a wonderful quote ” when the going gets tough, the tough starts baking” and I can somehow relate. 🙂

    1. Marisa thanks so much. I am just getting into using spelt flour and experimenting with it. Donna Hay is a big fan so I thought I would try it along with some other flours I do not often use for baking such as buckwheat. I made that quote up based on another one I often hear…seemed appropriate. Happy Holidays.

    1. I am pretty crazy about pears…there are quite a few varieties all year long and come from all over he world as well as from local farmer’s markets. I like the texture as well as the flavor and the differences. Happy Holiday.

    1. It’s very comforting to cook and bake in particular isn’t it? Baking is both physical and mental and gets one out of the day to day-ness of life with great results! Happy Thanksgiving.

  2. Delicious, delicious, delicious. Now for summer inspired version of the baking urge – Ithink perhaps mango cheesecake for me, given it is 8 am and already I am sweating. NEver seen pluots in my part of the world, but blood plums would be a good substitute. Looking forward to autumn. margaret

    1. I love it that your summer is our winter and just the flip for me! i have a subscription to Donna Hay Magazine so it always delights me when I see “Summer Christmas” images! What fun. Happy Holiday.

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