Pear & Chocolate Tart

Here comes the Autumn, bringing us brown leaves, chillier air and the longing for comfort food.  I am a fan of pears, although funnily enough (at least for me!) I do not know many people that share this passion. If you too are not that keen on this fruit, I especially encourage you to try my tart: the soft shortcrust pastry (previously described in this post) encases a smooth chocolate filling, and chunks of this juicy, sweet Autumnal produce. It's not without reason that la crostata al cioccolato e pere features on the menu of many Tuscan restaurants around this time of the year!

INGREDIENTS

For the soft shortcrust pastry

• Please refer to my previous post for the blackberry jam tart.

For the filling

• Two ripe pears; choose a sweet, juicy variety
• 50 gr of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 50 gr of bitter cocoa powder
• 50 gr of butter
• 50 of plain flour
• 500 ml of milk

Prepare the soft shortcrust pastry following these steps, then roll it out and place in on the baking tray (don't forget to place it on a sheet of baking parchment first). Peel the pears, remove the cores and slice them thinly, horizontally. Spread the pear chunks all over the bottom of the tart case, then place the tray in the fridge while you move on to preparing the chocolate filling.

In a small saucepan, place the sugar, cocoa powder, butter and flour; gently heat the ingredients while gradually adding the milk, stirring continuously until you achieve a thick, glossy sauce. Add the honey, then take the sauce off the heat and let it cool a little before pouring it in the tart case. It should cover the pear chunks completely.

Place the tart in the middle shelf of your oven, pre-heated at 175°C and leave it to bake for 25/30 minutes.  After 10 minutes, remember to cover it with a sheet of tin foil to prevent the chocolate filling from burning. The tart will be ready when the middle appears slightly cracked and set, although bear in mind that if you poke it, it should still be a little wobbly.

Just a tip: leave it to cool completely before serving it, otherwise the filling will fall apart when you slice the tart.