Pear Tart — The Pie-Baker’s Table

Christmas week. I stayed at Gloria and James for four days, the longest I have stayed since the Thanksgiving after I moved to the apartment. James health situation made me want to be there more, not dramatically but practically, in the way that love becomes practical when time feels more finite than it used to.

He was moving slowly this week. His energy is lower than I have seen it. But he was present and warm and specific. He noticed when I changed something in the gravy technique. He asked about my research proposal. He wanted to hear about every toddler, each one by name, what they were doing, what I thought they would become. He treats my work like it matters because it does and because he knows I need to be reminded of that sometimes.

Gloria and I cooked all four days. Ham, sweet potato casserole, collards, potato salad, deviled eggs. We baked two pies: pecan, which is mine now, and sweet potato, which is hers. The kitchen smelled like everything I have spent five years learning to love. She moved slower than last year at the stove and I moved faster and we met somewhere in the middle and the food was right.

On Christmas Day James opened presents from the chair because standing was harder. He got his gift from me: a new pair of house slippers with extra cushion for his knees, which I had asked Gloria about privately three weeks before. He said: now that is practical. He put them on immediately. Gloria gave me a set of her mother old ceramic mixing bowls. She said: these need to be used. They will not be used here the way they should be. Take them.

I drove home with the bowls wrapped in dish towels on the passenger seat. I cried most of the way, the specific kind you cry when someone hands you something they love.

I made this pear tart for the first time in Gloria’s mother’s ceramic mixing bowls — the ones she pressed into my hands on Christmas Day, still warm from the kitchen we had shared all week. The pecan and sweet potato pies are hers and mine now, deeply set, but I wanted something new to break in those bowls with, something that felt like a beginning as much as an inheritance. A tart felt right: structured, a little careful, and sweeter than it looks at first.

Pear Tart

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3–4 tablespoons ice water
• 1/2 cup almond flour (or finely ground almonds)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 medium ripe pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed (for glaze)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Make the crust. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat and prep the pan. Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into an 11-inch circle. Carefully transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing gently into the sides. Trim any excess. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
3. Make the almond filling. In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Fold in the almond flour until fully incorporated.
4. Assemble the tart. Spread the almond filling evenly over the chilled tart shell. Arrange the pear slices in overlapping concentric circles or a fan pattern over the filling. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and the cinnamon.
5. Bake. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the crust is golden, the almond filling is set, and the pear edges are lightly caramelized. If the crust edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
6. Glaze and cool. Remove from the oven and immediately brush the warm tart with apricot jam for a glossy finish. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before removing the rim. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 320 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 95mg