Recipe Detail Page

1. For the crust, stir the flour, walnuts, sugar and salt to combine (this can be done by hand or in a food processor). Cut in butter until it has a coarse, crumbly texture. Stir in 1 tbsp(15mL) of cold water until dough comes together, adding additional 1 tbsp (15 mL) water if needed. Shape dough into a log, wrap and chill 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

3. On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough into 4 pieces, then roll and line four 4-inch (10-cm) removable-bottom tart shells, trimming excess dough. Freeze shells for 10 minutes. Line the shells with foil and weight with raw rice or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove weights and bake 15 minutes more, until lightly browned around the edges.

4. While the tarts are baking, poach the pears. Peel the pears, cut in half and remove core. Place in a saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Cover pears directly with a piece of parchment and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes then remove the pot from the heat and let pears cool to room temperature in the syrup. The pears should be tender and yield when touched with a knife.

5. For the filling, purée all ingredients in a food processor or using an immersion blender.

6. To assemble, spoon about 2 tbsp (25 mL) of filling into each tart shell so that the tart is half filled. Slice pear and fan over filling, trimming pear to fit, if needed (you can purée the trimmed pieces as a sauce to serve with the tarts). Bake for 15 minutes, until filling is just set. Tarts can be chilled until ready to serve, but are best served at room temperature.

TIP: If ground walnuts are not available, simply pulse ½ cup (125 mL) walnut pieces with 1 tbsp (15 mL) flour in a food processor, then measure out 3 tbsp (45 mL)for the recipe.