Bittersweet Chocolate and Roasted Pear Tarts

Intro

A buttery shortbread crust flecked with vanilla beans holds a creamy bittersweet chocolate ganache. The ganache is combined with Calvados and then a layer of pears sets atop the ganache. The pears were roasted with vanilla beans and butter. Finally a shiny chocolate glaze is poured on as the final layer. Garnished with bronzed lustre dust and a dried pear slice. Truly decadent.

Shortbread Crust

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 vanilla bean

1 cup flour

Melt butter. Cool slightly. Combine butter, sugar, salt and vanilla. Stir to combine. Gently stir in flour. Dough will be wet. Press into tart molds. Bake 15-20 minutes 350*.

Bittersweet Ganache with Calvados

I used equal parts (by weight) dark chocolate and cream and added 2 tbl. butter. You will need about 3 cups ganache for 8 tarts. (Sorry – I didn’t use a recipe so I don’t have the exact amounts) Add 2 – 3 tbl. Calvados (French apple brandy)

Scald cream and add to chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute. Stir and add butter and Calvados.

Pour a small layer of ganache in the bottom of the baked/cooled tart shells. Chill that in the fridge until just set. Add a layer of roasted pears (peel pears, wrap each one in aluminum foil with 1 tbl. butter and 1/3 vanilla bean with the seeds scraped out. Roast 350* 15 – 20 min. until tender. Let cool then slice thinly discarding core.)

Finish the tart by adding a chocolate glaze. ( I added 3tbl. butter and 1/4 corn syrup to the rest of the ganache to make a shiny glaze.)

For garnish slice pears thinly then place on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 – 250* until dry. I brushed bronze lustre dust on the dried pear than sprinkled the dust on the tart.

I also wanted to thank everyone for coming and visiting my site and adding such wonderful comments to my posts. Many of you have complimented me on the amazing photos on my blog and website. Although I appreciate the compliments very much I can not take any of the credit. My husband is an incredible photographer and he takes all my photos. He has his own company which has now recently included his brother. Please check out his website as there are many more gorgeous photos found there. Thanks again for the complimens… I will pass them along to my husband.