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–+ servings
Chocolate tart with ripe pears
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Chocolate and Pear Crostata

Chocolate and Pear Crostata with a silky smooth filling of finely ground walnuts and dark chocolate makes a rustic, elegant dessert.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Chocolate Pear Crostata Recipe
Servings 8
Author Marisa

Ingredients

For the Pastry

  • 3/4 cup or 12 tablespoons butter cubed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 cups all purpose flour

For the Chocolate Filling

  • 14 tablespoons butter cubed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • 1 1/3 cups walnuts, lightly toasted finely ground
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, melted I used 70% dark chocolate
  • 4 ripe firm pears
  • powdered sugar for dusting
  • 9 inch round tart tin with removable base

Instructions

Making the Pastry

  • Place the butter and sugar together in a food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Add in the egg yolk and blend again until it is thoroughly mixed.
  • Next, add in the flour and pulse intermittently until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
  • Divide the dough in half and freeze one half for later use. A half portion of this dough is enough to line a 9 inch baking tin. 
  • Line the greased tart tin with the dough by patting it down in the tart tin while spreading it out with your fingers.
  • Chill for at least 30 minutes.

For the Filling

  • Beat together the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add in the eggs, ground walnuts, flour and beat until smooth.
  • Stir in the melted chocolate.
  • Spoon the mixture over the pastry and smooth it gently with a pastry knife.
  • Peel the pears and cut them in half length-wise.
  • Remove the cores and slice each half length-wise into thin slices.
  • While keeping each of the sliced halves together, place them over the chocolate filling. (As seen in the photo)
    Tart dough with chocolate walnut filling
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, for about 45 minutes or until the walnut mixture is firm and the pastry is golden brown.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool then dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Notes

You will only need half of the pastry dough to make a 9 inch crostata. The remaining half can be frozen for later use. However, if your tart tin is 10 inches round do use the whole amount of pastry dough. I've done so successfully without changing the amount of filling.
Recipe is adapted from a favourite cookbook, Cafe Italia Cookbook and only switching almonds for the walnuts as a personal preference.