Dessert Recipes: Healthy Pear Tart, from Pinole, California  

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Egg Custard Recipe

On occasion, I've ended up with quite a few yolks, so I came up with an egg custard recipe that I could use as a filling for cakes, or for fruit tart recipes like this one.


The ingredients are about the same as for Creme Anglaise. Traditionally, the yolks and sugar are stirred until they're a light, creamy yellow color. I skipped that step; my egg custard recipe took on a brighter, lemon yellow color, although none of us minded; the pears were on top of that anyway.


Simple recipes like this one for egg custard take a few shortcuts:

My microwaving method did save time, and I used vanilla extract instead of the whole vanilla bean pod. (I love those vanilla beans, and it only takes a little piece steeping in the cream to lend its wonderful flavor, but extract's definitely easier).


Instead of warming cream/milk over the stove burner, with a vanilla pod in the mix, I warmed my cream/sugar mix in the microwave. This dissolved the sugar and got the mixture hot enough to start slowly cooking the yolks, as I stirred it into them. I kept microwaving it in short increments, pausing a few minutes in between to let the yolks cook slowly... No curdles, no scorched pan... I loved it!


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Egg Custard Recipe-                         Custard Pear Tart



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When pears are ripe, the time is also ripe for making this tart. I discovered that microwaving the pears worked at least as well as traditional poaching methods. I added this on to my list of simple recipes after finding several shortcuts that worked.

With an egg custard filling, fresh pears, nutty crust, and a bit of sugar broiled on top for a finishing touch, this recipe was declared a favorite. Serves 8 or so.

Ingredients:
  • 7 oz. walnuts (almost 2 c.)
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1/4 c. sugar (plus 1/2 c., plus 2 TBS.)
  • 1 egg
  • 2/3 c. (plus 1/2 c.) butter, room-temp.
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 3/4 tsp. (plus 3/4 tsp.) almond extract
  • Juice of 1-2 lemons
  • 6 egg yolks (about 1/2 c.)
  • 5-6 pears, peeled
  • 1 c. whipping cream
  • 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 c. confectioner's sugar

Make the crust the day before, if you like. Use a buttered, 11" tart pan for the crust; the kind with ridged edges and a removable bottom is ideal. If you have different-sized pans, adjust the recipe accordingly. In a processor or blender, fine-chop: > 7 oz. walnuts (almost 2 c.)

To chopped nuts, add: > 2 c. flour > 1/4 c. sugar

Pulse to mix the dry ingredients in. Meanwhile, in another bowl, stir until mixed: > 1 egg > 3/4 tsp. almond extract

To the egg mixture, also add: > 2/3 c. room-temp. butter

To the processor (or blender), add the egg, extract, and butter, mixing just until smooth. Press the mixture into the well-buttered tart pan. Refrigerate for 30 min. or so. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 min., until golden-brown. Let cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the egg custard. (This can also be prepared a day ahead). Stir until well-blended, in a separate, medium-size ceramic bowl: > 6 egg yolks (about 1/2 c.) > 3/4 tsp. almond extract

Microwave about 2 minutes, until hot and sugar dissolves when stirred: > 1/2 c. butter > 1/2 c. milk > 1/2 c. sugar

Into the beaten egg yolks/almond extract mix, slowly stir in: > The hot butter/milk/sugar mix

The following microwaving process takes 10 minutes or so, but you're only microwaving a few seconds at a time, then letting it rest 5 minutes in between. (You can start working on the pears in between time.)

To microwave the egg custard to perfection, microwave the hot sauce in 11 second increments, 3 times, stirring in between each 11-second run. After a 5 minute rest, microwave the mix again, 22 seconds, 4 times, stirring in between; by then the egg custard should have thickened, but not curdled. At that point, lay some plastic wrap right on top of the sauce (to keep a skin from forming), and refrigerate it.
To prepare the pears for laying on top, peel, cut in half, and core the pears, dipping into lemon juice to keep them from browning. Use: > 5-6 pears > Juice of 1-2 lemons

Place the pear halves face down on a big plate and microwave for about 16 minutes on Medium Power. Let all the pears cool off, then cut almost all the way through, to be able to fan them out on the tart.

To assemble the tart, spread the cooled egg custard onto the baked tart crust. Place pears on top, fanning them just a bit. Sprinkle top with: > 2 TBS. sugar

For the finishing touch, broil (or use a kitchen torch) to brown the sugar and edges of pears just a bit, 5 minutes or so. If using your oven broiler, protect the edges of the crust with aluminum foil to avoid over-browning them.

Whip until light: > 1 c. whipping cream

Add, whip to mix in: > 1/4 c. confectioner's sugar > 3/4 tsp. vanilla

Serve the pear tart with whipped cream.








 
 




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