hi there.
happy monday.
how are you? how was your weekend?
i'd planned to
share my weekend journey
with you today.
i wanted to show you images
filled with quince orchards
with quince jelly,
& with autumn colored leaves.
but, plans change
and my 8 hour journey
to the quince trees
turned out, well,
let's just say less than perfect.
but, remember these tarts,
well, here's the recipe i promised:
CEYLON CINNAMON & PEAR TARTS WITH BROWN BUTTER & WALNUTS
before you begin:
it's best to poach the pears the day before
& let them steep in the poaching liquid overnight.
before using them
wipe away any hardened butter,
lift each from the liquid
& let dry on cooling rack.
i use small pears
the ones that
are about the size
of large crab apples.
if you can't find these at your grocer
larger ones will do just fine as well,
you'll just have to slice them instead.
oh and you could make the dough the day before too.
it will last up to a week in the refrigerator.
what you will need:
1 medium saucepan
1 rolling pin
4 - 6 dishes or rings (i used these ones)
electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
1 cooling rack
1 small mortar & pestle
1 sharp knife, 1 cutting board, 1 strainer
1 small melon baller
1 medium sized wooden spoon (i used one similar to this one)
1 piping bag + 1 plain tip
how i serve the tarts:
they're perfect the day you bake them
cooled slightly then topped
with a round scoop of vanilla ice cream.
or just tapped out of their shells
and eaten on their own.
should you like to wait until the day after,
allow them to cool completely and for
overnight storage
place in an airtight container
wrapped in a small bit of cloth.
they'll stay nicest that way.
for the poached pears:
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 sticks ceylon cinnamon (crushed)
1/4 empty vanilla pod (or full, either is fine)
1 pinch fleur de sel
3 tablespoons lyles's golden syrup
4 tablespoons white sugar
480 ml water
1/2 juice of a lemon
10 - 12 small pears (or larger ones sliced)
slice pears in half
& use a melon baller to remove cores
i leave the stems on
because i think it looks pretty,
but this isn't necessary
if you'd prefer not to
at this point, stem the pears as well.
set aside.
mix the water and lemon juice and set aside.
crush cinnamon sticks with a mortar & pestle until broken up.
add them along with the butter to a medium sized saucepan.
on medium to high heat, brown the butter, then add the fleur de sel.
next, add the sugar & syrup.
stir constantly with a wooden spoon until nicely caramelized.
slowly pour in the water and lemon juice while stirring.
allow mixture to come to a boil & then
simmer until any lumps disappear.
turn heat to medium low.
add prepared pears,
& simmer for 5 minutes.
*if you are using larger pears
you might let them cook a while longer.
let cool & transfer to a bowl.
cover and let steep in liquid overnight in the fridge.
for the crust:
135 grams unsalted butter
135 grams white sugar
1 egg
245 grams all purpose flour
using the paddle attachment,
cream the butter, then add sugar & mix.
next, add the egg & mix until combined.
scrape down the sides of the bowl
& mix until mixture is a consistent texture.
turn off the machine & add the flour.
then with mixer on low allow your dough to mix until combined.
the dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl when it is ready.
be sure not to over-mix when adding the flour,
it's important not to develop the gluten too much.
this way your crust will stay crisp & crunchy when baked.
refrigerate dough overnight or for about 4 hours before use.
for the walnut filling:
200 grams unsalted butter
150 grams brown sugar
50 grams white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
200 grams freshly ground walnuts
20 grams all purpose flour
a couple handfuls of walnut halves (set aside)
using the paddle attachment cream the butter.
add both sugars & spices & beat on medium speed until fluffy.
add the eggs & mix with the mixer on low until combined.
scrape down the sides of the bowl & add the ground walnuts
& all purpose flour.
mix until mixture comes together fully.
set aside.
to assemble:
on a lightly floured surface
roll the dough about 1/4 inch thick.
cut rough circles of dough around your molds
and then line each one.
cut off the excess when pressing into molds.
try to ensure as few air bubbles as possible.
you may find that you have a little bit of dough left over,
you can just make this into little cookies.
you shouldn't have too much.
refrigerate for about 1o minutes before proceeding.
now you are ready to fill your tarts.
pipe the walnut filling into each crust
be sure to do so as evenly as possible,
while covering the entire base.
the filling should go 3/4 of the way up the sides of each dish.
arrange the poached pears on top (4 or 5 halves)
and press each slightly into the walnut filling.
break the walnut halves you put aside earlier in your hand
and arrange around the pears.
place on a baking sheet and
bake in a 350 degree oven
for 30 - 40 minutes or
until golden brown.
the center should no longer wiggle when you tap them
& the tops should look dry.
oh and be sure to turn them half way
to ensure even baking.
they're ready when the filling has become puffy,
the crust is golden and the walnuts look nicely toasted.
you can see the finished product here.
enjoy!
xox, n.
ps:
i'm new to writing recipes for others,
so please feel free to email me with suggestions or questions.
i'd like for my recipes to be as user friendly as possible
so if they're not, please don't hesitate to let me know.
your input will help me improve.
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