Description
A buttery homemade pastry crust filled with tender, brown-sugar-glazed pears, creamy Gorgonzola, crunchy pecans, and warm fall spices. This sweet-savory tart is an elegant choice for autumn brunches, Thanksgiving gatherings, and holiday entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 8 tablespoons (115 g) unsalted butter, cold
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2½ tablespoons ice-cold water
Filling
- 4 medium pears
- 100 g Gorgonzola blue cheese
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅓ cup pecans
Instructions
Instructions
- Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse again. Add ice water gradually, just until the dough holds together. Shape into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 400°F. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9-inch tart or pie dish. Prick the base with a fork and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Line with parchment and pie weights or dried beans. Blind-bake 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment carefully; bake 5 minutes more, until lightly golden. Cool 15 minutes.
- Slice and core the pears. Cook with brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the pears soften and the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool 10 minutes.
- Spoon the pears into the baked shell, leaving excess watery liquid behind if needed. Top with crumbled Gorgonzola and pecans.
- Bake 20–25 minutes at 400°F, until golden and the cheese has softened. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Best pears: Bosc or Anjou pears are good choices because they generally hold their shape during cooking.
- Cheese: Gorgonzola Dolce provides a milder, creamier flavor than more pungent blue cheeses.
- Avoid soggy pastry: Do not transfer excessive pear syrup into the baked crust.
- Pastry: Keep the butter cold and avoid overworking the dough.
- Serving: Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, once the filling has set sufficiently for slicing.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
- Prep Time: about 30 minutes active
- Cook Time: 40–45 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking