French Pear Dessert Recipe

Here's another great French pear dessert recipe - this one includes chocolate too!

My downstairs neighbor who hails from Alsace made this tart for tea the other day. I loved the combination of chocolate and pear and was pleased to find out how simple it is to make.

The Alsace-Lorraine region has many of their own traditional French pastries and my neighbor is an expert baker. At Christmastime she offered us an incredible plate of cookies, at least 7 or 8 varieties. I don't know how she did that as she has two toddlers to keep her busy enough already!

She counsels that this pear dessert recipe shouldn't go in the refrigerator as the chocolate hardens and it can become very difficult to slice prettily. However, with the egg topping, you should be careful with leftovers and refrigerate them. Or just do like us: I baked it in the afternoon and we ate it in the evening. No leftovers, no problems!

As always I recommend that you freeze the tart shell for 15 minutes to 1/2 hour once it is fitted to the pan to prevent slippage and bubbling.

Tarte choco-poire

1 pie shell, unbaked
12 ounces dark chocolate, melted
1 large can of pear halves in light syrup, cut into 1/8 inch slices
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

Place the pie shell in a tart pan or pie tin and pierce the bottom in several places with a fork. Pour the melted chocolate into this and than place the pears on top in an attractive overlapping arrangement.

Beat the eggs with the sugar and than the cream. Pour this on top of the pears and bake for 25 minutes at 400° F, or until the top begins to brown.

If you wish, sprinkle with two tablespoons of sugar and place the tarte under the grill for just a few minutes until the sugar just starts to caramelize (watch carefully).

Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

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