Description
A beautifully elegant pear tart featuring a flaky puff pastry crust, an indulgent cream cheese layer, and thinly sliced, sugar-glazed pears arranged in a delicate fan. This dessert combines subtle sweetness and buttery textures, finished with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar for a caramelized crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry and Topping
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed, unfolded, and lightly rolled
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- ½ lemon, juiced
Pear Filling
- 2 Bartlett pears, halved and cored
- 2 d’Anjou pears, halved and cored
- 1 red pear, halved and cored
Cream Cheese Layer
- ½ (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Fit the thawed puff pastry sheet into a 10-inch square tart pan with removable sides, pressing gently to line the pan evenly.
- Prepare Pears: Place each pear half cut-side down on a work surface. Using chopsticks on each side of the pear, thinly slice lengthwise without cutting through the bottom, creating the classic ‘hasselback’ look. Repeat this for all pear halves.
- Coat Pears: Transfer the hasselbacked pears to a bowl, add white sugar and lemon juice, and gently toss to coat. Let the pears sit for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors and soften slightly.
- Make Cream Cheese Layer: In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Spread this mixture evenly over the lined puff pastry in the tart pan.
- Arrange Pears: Fan out the sliced pears carefully over the cream cheese layer in the pastry shell. Drizzle any accumulated juice from the pears over the arranged fruit to enhance flavor and moisture.
- Add Sugar Topping and Bake: Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the pear-topped tart. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the puff pastry crust is puffed, golden brown, and the pear juices are bubbling.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool briefly before slicing into 8 servings. Serve warm or at room temperature for best flavor.
Notes
- Using multiple varieties of pears adds complexity and visual appeal.
- Chopsticks help to protect the bottom of the pears when slicing thinly without cutting all the way through.
- Letting the pear slices soak in lemon juice and sugar helps prevent browning and adds brightness.
- Allow the tart to cool slightly to let the juices thicken for easier slicing.
- The tart pairs wonderfully with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
