Butterscotch Pear Tarts

By learen

IC cookbook by Bev Laumann

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c butter at room temp
• 5 T cold water
• Custard
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 3 t cornstarch
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 c milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 T butter
• 1 1/4 t vanilla
• Topping
• 2 T light brown sugar
• 6 T sugar
• 2 t cornstarch
• pinch cinnamon
• 5 T butter
• 4 pears, cored and peeled
• whipped cream

Details

Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 150mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425. mix together flour and salt for the crust. Cut in butter until like small peas. Add cold water and stir just until all is moist. Divide dough in quarters. press each piece of dough into a 4 in individual tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough out so that the bottom is about 1/8 in thick, and sides are about 1/4 in thick. let sides extend up about half an inch above sides of the pan. Flute as you would a pie crust edge, and prick bottom and sides with a fork. Bake for 12-15 min until golden brown. Remove and let cool while making custard.
In a saucepan, thoroughly mix together the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the milk until brown sugar is completely dissolved and mix is lump free. Cook over med heat while stirring, until mix is bubbly. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 more min.
Remove from heat and take out 1 or 2 T of hot mixture. Stir the small amt of hot mix into the egg yolks until blended. Pour egg yolks back into the hot mixture, stir and place over med heat again. Cook and stir another 2 min.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Remove tart shells from pans and place on serving plates. Pour custard into shells, filling to within 1/4 in of the top. Set aside to cool while making the topping.
In saucepan, thoroughly combine the light brown sugar, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Cut pears into slices. Add butter to saucepan and cook over med heat while stirring. Bring to boiling and add pears and continue boiling and stirring until pears are soft and cooked through. Spoon pears over tops of tarts. Chill in the frig for at least 2 hours. Top with whip cream.