Pear Custard Tart: Tart, Sweet & Simply Elegant

Shortcrust Pastry

1. Mix together the egg yolk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Set that aside. In a large bowl or food processor add the flour, sugar, and salt, process until just combined, about 10 seconds.
2. Add the cold butter chunks and pulse on high 10-15 times- you will have a crumbly texture with some chunks of butter. If mixing by hand use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until a coarse meal is formed. Don't over-mix it you want small chunks of butter left.
3. Gently stream in the cream/ egg mixture. If using a food processor the dough, will lump up into a ball, turn off, do not over mix. It does not need to be one cohesive ball as soon as you tip it out of the bowl you can gently press the dough together to form one cohesive ball.
4. Place tart dough onto a clean surface and pat into a 6 inch round disc. Work quickly, you don't want to spend too much time working with the dough as the warmth of your hands can melt the butter. Wrap the dough disc tightly in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 4 days.
5. Once the dough has chilled for 30 minutes (if it is in the fridge for more than 30 minutes let the dough sit out to soften a bit before rolling out) place it on a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to gently and evenly roll the dough to ⅛" inch thick. Make sure to turn the dough multiple times to ensure an even dough. Gently roll the dough onto the rolling pin and slide the tart tin underneath then roll the dough onto the tart tin.
6. Gently use your fingers to press the dough into the mold- if it cracks a little don't worry just press it back together. Use a knife to cut off the excess dough leaving a 1-inch lip around- I like to create a thicker crust by folding that lip over to create an almost double crust. Use a rolling pin to roll on top of the tart tin to remove any excess dough and use a knife to trim any specific areas.
7. Use a fork to prick the crust all over then place it in the freezer for 30 minutes or up to two days (if freezing for longer than 30 minutes wrap the tin in plastic wrap). It is important for the dough to be ice cold when it goes into the oven.
8. When ready to bake preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Lightly spray a piece of foil with non-stick cooking spray or use a piece of parchment paper and gently press against the tart-greased side down. Fill with dry beans, rice, or pie weights.
9. Place the cold tart tin on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes then remove the pie weights and bake for an additional 5 minutes uncovered. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

Pear Custard Filling

1. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and flour, mix until evenly combined. 
2. Place the par-baked tart shell on a baking tray and layer in the pear slices to slightly overlap. Then pour the custard mixture on top, make sure to pour evenly, and any pears that stick up gently press them to get them into the custard mixture.
3. Bake for 30-38 minutes, the custard should be set and barely wiggle in the middle two inches or so. Let cool on a wire rack for one hour then wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Just before serving dust confectioner's sugar on top.  Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, but tart is best eaten on days 1 and 2.