Roasted Pear Creme Brulee Tart

By Chez_Alexander

Ingredients

• PASTRY:
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup + 2 TBS flour
• 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 TBS ice water
• Cooking spray
• PASTRY CREAM:
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 TBS flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (4") piece vanilla bean, split
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• TOPPING:
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 medium pears, peeled, cored, and halved

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from myrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

PASTRY:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Place first 3 ingredients in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse 10 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly add 2 TBS ice water through chute, processing just until dough starts to come together. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap; press into a disk.

3. Cover and chill 10 minutes in the freezer. Place dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; roll dough into a 10" circle. Fit dough into a 9" removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray; pierce dough with a fork. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.

PASTRY CREAM:

1. Combine brown sugar, 3 TBS flour, and salt in a medium, heavy saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add seed and beans to milk mixture. Cook over medium-high heat until thick and bubbly (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Place egg in a large bowl. Gradually stir hot milk mixture into egg. Return milk mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until mixture coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly. Discard vanilla bean. Spread pastry cream onto a baking sheet; cover entire surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until chilled. Spread pastry cream evenly into tart sheet; cover and chill at least 2 hours or until set.

TOPPING:

1. Combine juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pears; toss well to coat. Place pears, cut side down, in an 11X7 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450F for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool completely; thinly slice. Place on paper towels; pat dry with additional paper towels. Arrange the pear slices spoke-like over pastry cream. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

2. Sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar evenly over pears, leaving a 1/2" border. Holding a kitchen blowtorch about 2 inches from the top of custard, heat the sugar, moving the torch back and forth, until the sugar is melted and caramelized (about 3 minutes). Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings. Each serving = 7 Weight Watchers points.