Creme Fraiche Cranberry Pear Tart

This almond cream, creme fraiche cranberry pear tart is a delicious and a stunning crowd pleaser. Fresh cranberries combined with sweet juicy pears equals perfection.

Tarts, whether savory or sweet, are hands down my favorite things to bake. It’s the several step process that makes me feel like I’m working on a special project. And in the end…special it is. The results are always impressive.

Seems like everyone has a favorite pear tart. I think of them as one of those pastries that bakers obsess over crafting them. At lease that’s how I felt when I started to make this one.

With this pear tart recipe, the most difficult part of the project is slicing the pears to a thin even perfection. That’s where my obsessive gene rose to the occasion. A very sharp paring knife is essential for slicing even thin slices lengthwise and slowly towards the core.

The next obsession is arranging the pear slices over the creme fraiche pastry filling. Think like an artist and devise your own pattern, after all it’s your creation. I started with four sections on opposite sides of each other. Starting from the outside of the crust I layered the pears slightly overlapping and worked toward the center. Then I filled in the smaller open spaces inbetween those four columns with the extra smaller pear slices. The cranberries were easy. I just placed them in an even pattern to fill in between pears. A single cranberry dotted each section along the edge.

A decorated tart is always makes for a more impressive finale. I dusted powdered sugar over mine with a fine-meshed sieve.

I’ve always found ground almonds somewhat dull but almond paste is an entirely different experience. In the end result the almond paste brings a light but definite hint of toasted nuts and a wonderful pairing for the sweet pears. The creme fraiche brings a not too sweet creamy foundation and the orange zest brightens and heightens the flavors. We simply could not keep our forks out of it.

So here’s to an elegant tart that will elevate any dinner party or holiday feast to heavenly heights. You certainly could use a store bought pasty crust, but when you’re making this tart for a special dinner, why? Mastering your own butter pie shell is rewarding. And with a flaky end result, who can resist? And it makes a tart that you can truly be proud of.

After researching many cranberry pear tart recipes, I chose this recipe from Culture: The word on Cheese. It’s a great site about all things cheese, and has lots of great recipes.

Recipe for Creme Fraiche Cranberry Pear Tart

I hope you give this pear tart recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.

Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite fruit tart recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

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Creme Fraiche Cranberry Pear Tart

Ingredients

• 1 9 inch pie shell
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup almond paste
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Vermont Creamery crème fraiche
• 2 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2-3 Anjou pears cored and sliced thinly
• 1 cup cranberries

Instructions

1. Prepare a 9" pie crust. Form in into a 9" tart pan. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Dock sides and bottom by pricking with fork.

2. In a small bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. Using a mixer, beat the sugar, almond paste, eggs until combined.
4. Add in the crème fraiche, butter, orange zest and flour mixture until blended.
5. Pour into the tart shell and spread evenly. Layer the pears and cranberries across the top of the crème fraiche mixture and bake for 40 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Tip: Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche sweetened with a little powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla or whiskey.

Looking for more pear tart recipe ideas? You won’t want to miss this classic:

French Pear Tart Burdaloue With Apricot Rum Glaze