Easy Pear Tart is made with fresh pears, a flaky crust, and a sweet filling that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. This pear tart comes together quickly, all you need is a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time to create a delightful dish.
Prep: Heat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- to 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray and set aside.
Crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy; beat in the egg and almond extract. {Try not to leave out the almond extract- it adds such a nice, subtle flavor that really adds so much to this dessert!}
Reduce the mixer speed to medium and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated (the dough will be very soft).
Using a small spatula, spread the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan.
IF USING TART PAN--If you are using a tart pan, there's no need to try and shape the dough at all. IF USING PIE PLATE--you might want to attempt to smooth the top edges of your tart. It's certainly not necessary though.
Filling: Peel, core, and cut each pear into 1 1/2- to 2-inch wedges. An apple slicer makes this process a lot easier- just slice it, then take a paring knife to the slices to remove the skin.
Arrange one ring of pears with the tips pointing toward the center and slightly overlapping them on top of the dough.
For the first layer, gently press them into the dough a bit. Try and leave about 1/2" around the edges for the crust to puff up- it holds the pears in nicely this way.
Top with another ring, working in the opposite direction. Do the best you can- I seem to lose sight of my circles 3/4 of the way around. It still ends up looking great!
Topping: Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. I like my cinnamon sugar heavy on the cinnamon. I keep mine in a shaker- it's super handy!
Bake: Bake until the crust is golden brown and the pears are tender, 60 to 70 minutes. Check the tart 40-45 minutes in- I always need to lay a piece of foil over the top to slow the browning. Let cool for 1 hour.
Glaze: Heat the jam and lemon juice until melted and combined. 30 second intervals in a bowl in the microwave while whisking between each should suffice.
Drizzle glaze over the top of the tart. Add sliced almonds if desired.
Let cool before slicing and serving or enjoy warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Left over pear tart should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want to keep it longer, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.