Shake up this year’s fall table with unexpected sweets rooted in tradition

Why not sass fall up a bit with a twist on the expected apple or pumpkin pie? Make a tart for an unforgettable impression. The beauty of tarts is they can be refined or rustic, and the possibilities are e.n.d.l.e.s.s!

Start with your crust — from traditional to puff pastry — then go classic and elegant like our poached pear tart prepared in a classic tart pan, or be a little more relaxed with a rustic and free-form tart. Whatever tart route you decide to take, just choose your crust and the rest is up to you!

Red Wine Poached Pear Tart

This is a version of a very classic tart, but with a press-in crust, a simple filling, and easy poached pears…all baked together into a beautiful holiday dessert.

Crust

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour*

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

1 large egg yolk mixed with 4 tablespoons of ice water

Put flour, sugar and salt into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse once or twice until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the ingredients resemble the size of small peas. Remove the lid and add the egg yolk-water mixture evenly over the dough crumbles. Pulse a few more times (5-6 times) until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over-process.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray.

Press the dough into the prepared tart pan to form an even crust. Bake the crust in the lower third of the oven for about 25 minutes, until it is golden brown. Remove crust from oven and lower the oven temperature to 350°.

Pears

6 cups water

2 cups dry red wine

2 cups sugar

4 whole cloves

1 star anise

2 whole (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

4 firm ripe pears, such as Bosc—peeled

In a large saucepan, combine the water wine, sugar, cloves, anise, cinnamon and vanilla bean and seeds; bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the peeled whole pears. Cover with a large sheet of parchment paper and a plate or lid slightly smaller than the saucepan to fully submerged the pears. Cook over moderate heat until the pears are just softened, 25 to 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the poached pears to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Cool until you can comfortably handle. Quarter, remove core, then slice each pear quarter in half again (so each pear eventually is cut into 1/8ths). Place slices on paper towels to absorb any excess moisture and set aside until ready to assemble the tart.

Filling

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract)

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour*

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Put the eggs sugar, vanilla seeds, almond extract, orange zest and salt into a medium bowl and beat together using an electric mixer. Add the flour and beat on low until smooth. Add the melted butter and beat on low until all ingredients are incorporated.

Assemble & Bake

Pour filling into the baked crust. Arrange the pears in slightly overlapping concentric circles, with the narrow ends pointing toward the center. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 1 hour, until the custard is golden and set.

Let the pear tart cool completely before serving.

Garnish (optional)

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1/8 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Before serving, lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar and toasted almonds.

*for a tasty gluten-free version, replace the all-purpose flour in the crust and filling with almond flour.

Sweet Potato and Apple Galette with Oatmeal Streusel Topping

This rustic tart is a fantastic dish using two of the season’s powerhouse produce…perfect for dessert or breakfast!

½ cup dark brown sugar

¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup (½ stick), chilled salted butter, cut into pieces

1 large sweet potato (approx. 1 pound)

2 apples

½ cup organic sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon allspice

pinch salt

pinch ground white pepper

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

milk for brushing

sugar for sprinkling

To make streusel topping:

Combine brown sugar, oats, and flour in a small bowl. Add butter and mix together with fingers until crumbly. Set aside until ready to use.

To make galette:

Rinse and dry sweet potato. Prick with a fork several times, wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 3 minutes. Let the sweet potatoes cool, then peel and slice in ¼” rounds. Core and slice apples into ¼” slices (no need to peel).

Mix sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Sprinkle half over the sweet potato slices and half over the apple slices. Toss each gently to coat.

Cut a piece of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet. Lightly flour the parchment paper and roll out the sheet of puff pastry until approximately 9x12 inches. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score a line around the pastry 1-inch inside the edge to make a “frame” (don’t cut all the way through). Place the parchment paper with the prepared pastry on the cookie sheet. Put the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the pastry (inside the frame) leaving the edge clear. Place the apple slices on top of the sweet potatoes and sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples.

Brush the clear edges of the pastry lightly with milk and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar.

Place in a preheated 375° oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the edges are puffed and golden brown. Let cool before slicing.

Rustic Fall Fruit Tart with Local Honey

This is excellent with almost any fruit in season, especially pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, or apples. You can certainly make crust from scratch, but the use of refrigerated pie dough makes this a no-excuse treat!

1 ½ pounds fresh fruit (pitted/seeded, and thinly sliced)

1 tablespoon flour

3 tablespoons raw sugar

½ package refrigerated piecrust (1 crust)

½ cup crushed shortbread cookies

1 egg, beaten, plus 1 teaspoon water

Local Honey, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place sliced fruit in a large bowl (see note below if using apples or other equally firm fruit). Sprinkle with flour and two tablespoons of the sugar. Stir to thoroughly coat the fruit.

Unroll cold piecrust onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle crushed cookies in the center of the crust, leaving a 1 ½-inch border. Arrange fruit over the cookie crumbs. Gently fold crust edges over the fruit.

Brush crust with egg wash; sprinkle crust and fruit with remaining 1 tablespoon of raw sugar.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until fruit is tender and the crust is a golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Slice into wedges and lightly drizzle with local honey … enjoy!

Note: If using firm fruit, such as apples, cook slightly before adding flour and sugar to be sure they soften thoroughly during baking.

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