2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 cup sugar
1½ cups flour
2 pounds fresh pears, preferably Bosc or Anjou rather than Bartlett
½ cup dry, unflavored bread crumbs
3 TBL butter
12 whole cloves
In this rustic pear tart, it isn’t necessary for the pears to be fully ripened. They will soften as they cook, although they should be on their way to getting ripe. Preheat oven to 375º F. In a mixing bowl, beat
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
together in a bowl. Add
- 1 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
mixing it thoroughly to produce a batter. Peel
- 2 pounds fresh pears
and continue to beat. Add
- 1½ cups flour
mixing it thoroughly to produce a batter. Peel
- 2 pounds fresh pears
Cut the pears lengthwise in two, scoop out the seeds and core, then cut them into thin slices about one inch wide. Add them to the batter in the mixing bowl, distributing them evenly. Smear a 9-inch round cake pan generously with
- 1 TBL butter
and sprinkle with
- ⅓ cup dry bread crumbs
then turn over the pan and give it a sharp rap against the counter to shake loose excess crumbs. Put batter in pan, level it off with the back of a spoon. Make many small hollows on the top with a fingertip and fill with bits of
- 2 TBL butter, cut into small bits
Stud the cake with
- 12 whole cloves
distributing them at random, but apart. Place the pan in the upper third of the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes or until the top is lightly colored.
While it is still lukewarm, cut around the edge of the pan, invert the pear tart on a rack and then invert it back onto a serving plate. It is very nice served while still warm, but it’s no disappointment at room temperature.