I wanted to create a tea-infused tart for nearly a decade before I finally got around to it. This one has a shortbread crust with a pudding filling, and features a double-layered tea flavor in both the filling and the poached pears. We chose Cinnamon Spice Guayusa to give it a lightly spicy flavor, but Vanilla Spice Chai would also work great. ~ Alan
* As featured in Issue 2 of Adventures with Tea eMagazine!
Pear Tart
Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- 3/4 cup Butter softened
- 1/3 cup Confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 2 Tbsp Rice flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Filling & Pears
- 2 cups Milk infused with 4-5 tsp of Cinnamon Spice Guayusa or Vanilla Spice Chai loose tea**
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Butter
- 1 or 2 Bosc or Anjou pears
- 2 cups Cinnamon Spice Guayusa or Vanilla Spice Chai brewed tea
Instructions
For the Tart Crust:
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Cream butter and sugar until combined. Mix in flours and salt. (If dough isn't firm, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.)
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Separate dough into 4 pieces and press each into a 4-inch tart pan, then put back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
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Bake at 350º F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
For the Filling & Pears:
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To make pudding, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Add tea-infused milk** and cook over medium heat, stirring until thick and bubbly. Then continue cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Pour into a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and press down onto pudding to protect the top surface. Chill for 1-2 hours.
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Shortly before serving, pour brewed tea into a 2-quart saucepan on medium heat. Peel pears, cut in half and remove the core. Once tea is steaming, add pears and cover pan. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes or until pears are fork-tender, then cut each half lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices right before serving.
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Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of pudding into each cooled tart shell and fan out 4-5 pear slices on top. Serves 4.
**To make tea-infused milk:
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The day before, add loose tea directly into the milk. Place into the refrigerator to cold-steep overnight (10-12 hours). Before using, pour through a strainer to remove the loose tea.
