This pear tart with blue cheese and honey, despite the salty savory touch from the blue cheese, sits squarely on the sweet side of things. Not to be confused with a cheese course prior to a meal, it’s lovely as a last course afterwards—most especially alongside a generous pour of tawny port.–Renee Schettler Rossi
Pear Tart with Blue Cheese and Honey
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
- 1/2 pound blanched almonds
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cold water
- 4 pears, unpeeled, stemmed and thinly sliced
- Honey for drizzling
- 2 to 4 ounces blue cheese
- 1 large egg white, beaten with a small drizzle of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Turn a baking sheet upside down. Cut the sheet of puff pastry in half lengthwise to create 2 rectangles. Place 1 of the pastry rectangles on the overturned baking sheet. Save the other rectangle for another use or a second pear tart.
- Use a paring knife to score a line almost but all the way completely through the pastry about 1 inch from the edge of the rectangle to make a border. Use a fork to poke holes within that line so the dough will remain flat as it bakes while the border will puff to create a border for the tart.
- Combine the almonds, sugar, and water in a food processor and grind to a paste. Spread the paste over the puff pastry.
- Arrange the pear slices over the almond paste. Drizzle with the honey and crumble the blue cheese over the top. Lightly brush the pastry border with the egg.
- Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting into squares. Originally published December 2, 2011.
Notes
Pear Tart With Blue Cheese And Honey And Bacon
If you’re the “more is more” sorta person, crumble a few slices of cooked bacon atop the tart just before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This pear tart with blue cheese and honey was a delight to make and eat! The tart looked professional, and I took it to the table on a wooden board and cut it there in front of guests. The tang of the blue cheese with the sweetness of the pears and honey were a delicious combination. This recipe will stay around for a long time!
I’ve made this pear tart several times and if you like blue cheese, you’ll like this tart.
I used my favorite Roquefort (Société) and several different types of pear. When you cut the pastry, make certain that you don’t cut all the way through, just score it. (I made that mistake the first time but it worked out fine.) I would also suggest that you pay close attention to the time, as the pastry may brown quickly with the use of egg wash.
I like to make the tart half size, which is just perfect for the 2 of us.
This pear tart is a wonderful fall dessert that will thrill your family and guests. A delicious way to serve up fresh pears complemented by blue cheese and local honey, this is a dessert that you will make again.
This style of dessert is among my favorites, combining a fresh seasonal fruit with a savory component, and serving it up in a simple yet elegant manner. Not being a fan (at all) of marzipan, the idea of the almond paste concerned me going in, but this version is much less sweet than I feared, and the rustic texture makes a fine bed for the succulent pears.
I used 3 red Bartletts and 3 green Bartlett pears, alternating them to highlight the difference in their skin color. I was fortunate to have some Darfour puff pastry in my freezer and some Papillon Roquefort to round out the field. What I like most about this recipe is how quickly it comes together to yield a truly special treat.
This is a dessert I would serve for any occasion, and found my hands-on prep time to be only 25 minutes. The resulting tart was not just beautiful, but delicious, a sweet-salty umami bomb of a dessert. Everyone at my table, even those not fans of blue cheese, devoured their slice and went back for more.
A twist on this recipe that I may try one day would be to make the tart without the blue cheese, but then make a blue cheese ice cream to serve with it….oh my.
First, what is the size of the *sheet* of puff pastry? I think this varies. I did not cut mine in half and it still could not take the volume of ingredients. And 4 oz of blue, really? Way too strong — maybe it was my blue… but definitely next time, not so much. I think I only used 2 oz. The concept is good and I will use it again, tho not sure about the cheese, whether I bake with it or crumble it on as the tart comes from the oven. I was wanting a sorbet or palate cleanser with mine… maybe a not too sweet but definitely cold cranberry? Pomegranate? Lemon balm?
You’re right, Pamela, the size of the puff pastry sheet will vary depending on the brand or the recipe that you use. As with many recipes, I think personal preference comes into play here. Based on our testers’ results, we actually already halved the amount of the ingredients from the original recipe, if you can believe that, and our testers found that amount to work. But please do try it again with a spare hand, and perhaps rely on a mild, dare I say almost sweet, gorgonzola dolce. And absolutely, I can see a pear sorbet being quite lovely with this…
One of my favorite combinations of all time; thought I can’t deny, I might gorgonzola it!
Why not gorgonzola it?! Let us know how it goes…!
Looks wonderful!