All Holiday Cafe

Christmas Recipes: Pear and Cranberry Tart

by Sandy Mitchell on July 17th, 2008

There’s something very elegant about a layered pear or apple tart that makes such a dessert a perfect ending to a festive holiday dinner. This recipe from the people at Whole Foods Market is a non-dairy, vegan variation of the French classic–with the distinctly American addition of cranberries.

Cranberry Pear Tart

Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons non-hydrogenated, non-dairy margarine, chilled
1/4 cup soy milk, chilled

4 Bosc pears (about 2 pounds)
6 tablespoons non-hydrogenated, non-dairy margarine, divided
7 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons potato starch
1 cup fresh or frozen whole cranberries, coarsely chopped

To prepare the dough, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix together with a wire whisk until blended. Add the margarine and crumble the mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse sand. Add the soy milk and mix quickly with your hands until the dough forms a shaggy ball. Do not overwork the dough.

Form the dough into a slightly flattened disk and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to form a circle 11 to 12-inches in diameter, by periodically lifting and repositioning the parchment paper over the dough. Remove the top layer of paper and invert the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Gently press the dough into the pan and discard the paper. Remove the excess dough overhanging the top of the pan by rolling your rolling pin across the top. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Peel the pears, quarter them, remove the cores, and slice them into 1/4-inch wedges. Melt two tablespoons of the margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pears, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and sauté until just softened. Using a slotted spoon transfer the pears to a plate to cool, reserving their juices in the skillet. In the same skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of margarine over low heat, whisking to incorporate pear juices left in the skillet. Whisk in the potato starch, cranberries and 4 tablespoons of the sugar until combined.

Evenly spread the cranberry mixture into the bottom of the prepared tart pan. Arrange the pear slices on top of the cranberry mixture by first placing a row of pear slices around the outer edged of the pan forming a circle. Repeat the next row by placing the pears closely against the first. Continue the process with each circle until you reach the middle. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the tart on a cookie sheet, and bake for about 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. The tart can be made 1-day ahead, cool completely, cover and kept at room temperature.

Nutrition Info
Per Serving (192g-wt.): 340 calories (160 from fat), 18g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 3g protein, 45g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 23g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 300mg sodium

For more Christmas in July posts, see:
An earth-friendly way to wrap packages, from Peggy at “Tree Hugging Family”
From Marye at “Simple Home Remedies,” one of the prettiest Christmas trees I’ve ever seen

^{(photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market)}

Tags: Christmas, christmas recipes, cranberry, dessert recipes, pear, tart, vegan

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