Recipe: Pear and Cranberry Tart

Fall…a time for chunky sweaters, copious amounts of warm tea and freshly-baked treats. Yup, there’s nothing quite like the smell of baked goods permeating through the air when frigid temperatures roll around. Mmm buttery, flaky goodness and caramelized fruit… Now we’re talking! Especially if it’s a seasonal fall fruit like the fresh, juicy Bartlett pears I just got my paws on from Walmart…

Ah yes, quite possibly the most versatile of all fall fruits: pears can be tossed in salads, desserts, mains and even cocktails! But I like them most when they’re cocooned in dough and baked in either a pie or tart. Which means I’m a huge fan of the recipe below — it’s super simple (15 min prep, 30 min bake time) and incredibly delicious. Best of all: you only need six ingredients to whip it up…

Pear and Cranberry Tart Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 firm but ripe pears (such as Anjou/Bartlett), unpeeled, cored and sliced in very thin slices
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 1 piece frozen puff pastry, thawed – I grabbed Tenderflake from Walmart, but you could make your own if you have time!
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cover cranberries with very hot water and let stand for 10 min. Drain.
3. Melt butter in a medium frypan over medium heat. Add pears and 1 tbsp sugar and cook 2 to 4 min or until softened but not falling apart. Reserve. Roll pastry out on a floured counter, using a floured rolling pin, into approximately a 10 x 10-in square. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork. Place pears in the centre of pastry and flatten them out into and even layer, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with cranberries. Fold pastry edges up over the edge of the pears. Brush edges of pastry with beaten egg then sprinkle sugar over pastry and pears. Bake 20 min. Reduce heat to 350F and bake another 10 to 12 min or until edges are puffed and golden.

And voila…

This is definitely going to be a go-to fall/winter recipe for me. My hubby and I really couldn’t believe how easy it was to make! And if you’re feeling fancy, you can jazz it up with whipped cream or ice cream, but I thought it was perfect on its own – so good that I didn’t want to share, but I did (reluctantly). Do you guys use fresh, seasonal fruits in your baking/cooking? Any suggestions for me? I’m currently digging through recipes and deciding what to make next. If you do happen to incorporate fall fruits into a recipe, make sure to follow @walmartcanada on Twitter and share a pic with #DiscoverFreshContest for a chance to win a $200 gift card (details and rules here). Oh, and there will be more fresh food challenges rolling out over the next few months so stay tuned!

This post is sponsored by Walmart Canada, as part of the #DiscoverFresh program. In exchange for this review, I have received special perks in the form of products and/or compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.