No need for any special pastry skills, or even a tart tin, with this Freeform Pear Tart. Seriously, this is the easiest pear tart ever!
A foolproof Pear Tart…
Do you struggle with pastry? Pastry can be tricky to work with and is often very unforgiving. Not so with this Freeform Pear Tart… This tart is so easy absolutely ANYONE can make it… even if you have zero pastry skills!
It’s so simple, all you have to do is rub together flour and butter, add sugar and a beaten egg, then squish it all together into a ball. Wrap the ball in clingfilm (clingwrap) and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes. Next, you mix together sliced pears, brown sugar, cinnamon and a little plain flour. Then, you roll out the pastry and place it onto a lined baking tray. Tip the pears into the centre of the tray, leaving a large border, then fold the border over the pears. Finally, brush the pastry with beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden.
What is ‘rubbing in’?
To make pastry, you need to use what is known as the ‘rubbing in’ method. If you’ve been put off by this in the past, please don’t be. It’s nowhere near as tricky as it sounds. (Seriously – my kids have been doing it since they were toddlers!)
All you need to do is place the flour and cubed butter in a large bowl, then use your fingertips to rub the flour into the butter. Like, really imagine you are literally trying to rub the flour into the butter! And you keep doing that until what you have in the bowl resembles breadcrumbs.
Alternatively, if you prefer, you can put the butter and flour in a food processor and blitz until it resembles breadcrumbs. But honestly, rubbing in by hand is not difficult and means less washing up!
No tart tin required
The beauty of a freeform tart, is you don’t even need a tart tin! All you need is a baking tray, or some sort of flat-ish ovenproof thing. You could use a roasting tin, an oven sheet, a lasagne dish… so long as it’s flat and ovenproof, it should work just fine.
(No guarantees or promises – I haven’t tested EVERY flat ovenproof item, but it works with most things!)
Freeform means super forgiving!
The beauty of a freeform tart is that it is SUPPOSED to look a bit ‘rustic’. So even if your pastry skills are somewhat lacking, this Freeform Pear Tart still comes out looking good!
What to serve with pear tart?
This pear tart is equally at home with cream, custard or ice cream. My favourite is extra thick cream! I also like to serve this tart with a handful of berries on the side.
What to drink with pear tart?
If you are a fan of dessert wines, then this pear tart pairs beautifully with sweet Gewürztraminers. (If not, then it also goes great with a cup of coffee!)
How to store leftover pear tart?
To keep it fresh, store leftover pear tart in an airtight cake tin or plastic box.
How long will pear tart keep?
This pear tart will keep for 2-3 days, but is at its best on the day you make it.
Can you reheat pear tart?
This pear tart tastes great cold. But you can reheat it if you want to. Place the tart on a baking tray and put it in an oven preheated to 200C (180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F) for 10 minutes, or until hot.
Can you freeze pear tart?
No, I don’t recommend it.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Freeform Pear Tart
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 225 g plain flour plus extra for rolling out
- 140 g salted butter chilled and cut into small cubes (roughly 1cm / ½inch)
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
Filling:
- 4 pears peeled, cored and sliced lengthways
- 1 tablespoon soft light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 large egg beaten (to glaze)
To serve:
- Cream, ice cream or custard (optional)
- Raspberries (optional)
Instructions
- Place the flour and cubes of butter into a mixing bowl and rub together until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and then add the beaten egg and stir until it begins to come together. Use your hands to form the pastry into a ball, then wrap the ball in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 200C /180C fan / gas mark 6 / 400F. Grease and line a baking sheet (or similar) with baking paper.
- Peel and core the pears, then slice them lengthways. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle over the brown sugar, cinnamon and plain flour. Use your hands to mix everything together, until the pears are evenly coated.
- Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll out to a rough circle of about 30cm / 12inches diameter. (It really doesn’t matter if it doesn’t look much like a circle.)
- Lift the pastry carefully onto the baking paper and then tip the pears into the middle, leaving a border of about 8cm / 3inches. Fold the sides up and over the pears, and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden.
- Serve warm or cold, with cream, custard or ice cream and a handful of raspberries.
Notes
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Pin Freeform Pear Tart for later
FREE 4 Week Easy Dinners Meal Plan
Have you got your hands on a copy of my meal plan yet? If not CLICK here to download a copy of my FREE 4 Week Easy Dinners Meal Plan today!
Don’t want to miss a thing?
Follow me on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get delicious, stress free recipes straight to your inbox every week?
Leave a Reply