Name: Christmas pear tart
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 2, with enough for seconds
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry thawed if frozen (from a 425g packet of 2 sheets); flour for dusting; 1 egg white; granulated sugar for dusting; holly sprigs and icing sugar to decorate; custard cream or ice cream, to serve; 2 small pear peeled, cored and cut into 1cm dice; 25g each currant and sultanas; 25g light muscovado sugar; 25g butter softened; pinch freshly grated cinnamon; zest 1 orange or lemon (optional); 1 medium pear peeled, cored and cut into 1cm dice; 50g each currant and sultanas; 25g light muscovado sugar; 25g butter softened; pinch freshly grated cinnamon; zest 1 orange or lemon (optional)

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Christmas pear tart

Christmas pear tart

Gary Rhodes

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Serves 2, with enough for seconds

Easy

Prep: 30 mins - 35 mins

Cook: 25 mins - 30 mins

If using fresh pastry

A star rating of 4 out of 5.2 ratingsRate

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Gary Rhodes' pear and mincemeat tart is based on an Eccles cake, the pastry they say has been with us for 300 years or more

Freezable

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry

thawed if frozen (from a 425g packet of 2 sheets)
flour

for dusting
1 egg white
granulated sugar

for dusting
holly sprigs and icing sugar

to decorate
custard

cream or ice cream, to serve

For the filling

2 small pear

peeled, cored and cut into 1cm dice
25g each currant

and sultanas
25g light muscovado sugar
25g butter

softened
pinch freshly grated cinnamon
zest 1 orange

or lemon (optional)

For the pear & raisin syrup

1 medium pear

peeled, cored and cut into 1cm dice
50g each currant

and sultanas
25g light muscovado sugar
25g butter

softened
pinch freshly grated cinnamon
zest 1 orange

or lemon (optional)

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal896
fat36g
saturates17g
carbs143g
sugars10g
fibre6g
protein10g
salt1.2g

low

Method

step 1

To make the syrup, place all the ingredients in a pan with 150ml water, then bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 mins until the fruit is softened, then remove the vanilla pod and blend to a smooth purée with a hand-held blender. Strain through a sieve. Allow to cool.
step 2

Extend the pastry by rolling out on a lightly floured surface, so it is big enough to cut out a 30cm circle. Lay the pastry circle on a baking tray. Mix all the filling ingredients together. Spoon the mincemeat filling into the centre of the pastry (no more than 10cm diameter), creating a dome shape. Brush the edges of the pastry with water and gather all together to create a 'bag' effect. Press the pastry lightly together to seal well, keeping it fairly loose.
step 3

Lay a greased baking tray on top, then turn the two trays over. Remove the top tray, and lightly roll the 'bag' with a rolling pin to create a flat round pastry disc, about 18cm across. Brush the pastry with the egg white, then sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Score 3-4 lines with a sharp knife in the centre, then chill for 15-20 mins. The tart can be made ahead and chilled for up to 2 hrs. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown and crispy.
step 4

Now finish it in style: Sit the tart on a plate and decorate with sprigs of holly sifted with icing sugar. Serve warm, in slices, with a little custard, cream or ice cream and the pear and raisin syrup.

RECIPE TIPS

DIFFERENT FLAVOURS

Try apples instead of pears and if having custard, flavour it with a bit of rum. If you like citrus, add a handful of candied peel to the filling.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2006

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.2 ratings

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