A tart is a kind of pastry which is made with fresh or caramelized fruits usually apples, pears, and blueberries. It has a base that is made of puff pastry and some of them contain custard. Tarts are usually baked in an oven and they are an excellent way of using over ripe fruits in a dessert. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients that are required for making a pear tart, as the end result is nothing short of spectacular. Simple Pear Tart Ingredients

• Eggs, 2
• Fresh pears, 500 g.
• All-purpose flour, 1½ cups
• Sugar, 1 cup
• Cloves, 6
• Milk, ¼ cup
• Pinch of salt
• Butter, 100 g.
• Round cake tin, 1 (9 inch)

Method Wash the pears and peel them. Cut the pears in half lengthwise and remove the seeds at the core. Slice the fruit into thin slivers and keep aside. In a large bowl, crack the two eggs and beat with an electric beater until it forms soft peaks. Now add the sugar along with a pinch of salt and whisk it again until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour and milk and mix it to form a thick batter. Add the thin slivers of pear into the batter and fold it gently with the help of a spatula or a wooden spoon. Take care not to beat the mixture too much or the pear tart will turn heavy and lumpy. Grease the 9 inch round cake tin with a bit of butter and pour the batter into it. Add some pieces of butter on top of the batter along with the whole cloves. Place the cake tin in the oven and bake the pear tart at 350ºF for around 45 to 50 minutes. When the top of the tart is evenly browned, remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before unmolding from the cake tin. Slice thick slices of this pear tart and serve it with a dollop of whipped cream. Recipe for Rustic Pear Tart Ingredients

• Pears, 3 (medium-sized)
• Pastry flour, ½ cup
• All-purpose flour, ½ cup
• Butter, 4 tbsp. (unsalted)
• Sugar, 2 tbsp.
• Brown sugar, 3 tbsp.
• Cinnamon powder, ¼ tsp.
• Buttermilk, 2 tbsp.
• Salt, ¼ tsp.
• Lemon juice, 1 tbsp.
• Cornstarch, 1 tbsp.
• Ice-cold water, 3 tbsp.

Method In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, pastry flour, sugar, and salt. Add small pieces of the plain unsalted butter and use your fingers to rub the butter with the flour until you get a coarse and crumbly texture. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk with the ice water and pour this mixture gradually into the flour and butter mixture. Knead the dough until it is smooth and cover it with a plastic wrap before refrigerating it for half an hour. Take another bowl and cut the pear into ¼ inch thick slices. Add cinnamon powder, cornstarch, brown sugar, and lemon juice and toss to coat the pears evenly. Roll out the chilled dough into a large 9 inch diameter circle and place it on a baking sheet. Arrange the sliced pears over the dough starting at the center and leave a 2 inch border. Fold the unfilled portion of the dough over the filling and bake it in a moderately hot oven for 40 minutes until the crust turns golden and the pears are cooked. Recipe for Almond Pear Tart Ingredients

• Plain flour, 1 cup
• Almonds, 1 cup (crushed)
• Butter, 125 g. (cut into cubes)
• Lemon zest, 1 tbsp.
• Sugar, 2 tbsp.
• Apricot jam, ¼ cup
• Pears, 2 (ripe)
• Almonds, 35 g. (flaked)
• Baking powder ½ tbsp.

Method In a food processor, whisk together the crushed almonds, flour, sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest. Add the butter and whisk again until you get a dough like consistency. Press the dough into a greased tin pan with the back of a metal spoon. Heat the apricot jam in a small pan until it is of a thin consistency and brush the pastry with the half warm jam. Peel and cut the pears into thin pieces and arrange the pear slices over the pastry and pour the remaining jam over it. Sprinkle the pastry with the flaked almonds and bake it in a moderately-hot oven for 50 minutes. Pear tarts can be served piping hot or cold and they make an excellent dessert for a party.