text: Recipe: Pear and Mascarpone Cheese Tart
  | BCLiving
  Recipe: Pear and Mascarpone Cheese Tart
  Caren McSherry | 4/30/2010
  Pears are arranged attractively on the mascarpone cheese base	Ingredients
  1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  3 Tbsp. icing sugar
  1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon rind
  1 (16 oz.) jar miniature pears in grappa syrup or 5 small fresh pears
  2/3 cup granulated sugar
  8 ounces mascarpone cheese
  1 egg
  1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts (optional)
  Instructions
  Place flour, butter, icing sugar and lemon rind in bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
  Pulse 8-10 times to break up the butter, then process until dough leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a loose ball.
  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 15 minutes.
  Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove dough from wrap and flatten slightly.
  Roll out onto a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Fit into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
  Fit a sheet of parchment or waxed paper inside the pastry shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights.
  Blind bake the shell for 12-15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
  Meanwhile, peel and core the fresh pears.
  Slice lengthwise into sixths. Sprinkle with half the sugar and set aside. (If using preserved pears, drain and slice in half. Omit sugar.)
  In a large bowl, combine cheese, remaining sugar, egg and vanilla.
  Spread the mixture over the cooked pastry shell.
  Arrange pear slices attractively over top and bake for 20 minutes or until tart is golden brown.
  Just before serving, sprinkle with hazelnuts if desired.
  Recipe courtesy Caren McSherry from the Gourmet Warehouse
  Originally published in TV Week. For daily updates, subscribe to the free TV Week e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.
  Caren has recently been inducted into the BC RESTAURANT HALL OF FAME, and has been included in Business in Vancouver's top 25 preforming businesses in British Columbia owned by women. Her professional life balances itself with her adult children; daughter Christina and son Jason. Subscribe to the BCLiving newsletter! Related Articles
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