Just a Hint of Fall: Pear Tart from What's For Dessert

I've found a pie that puts me in a Fall kind of mood but without any Pumpkin or Sweet Potato in sight. Huh? It's all because What’s for Dessert has made a pear tart that captures that essence of Autumn in a summer pie. The warmer weather usually brings lots of strawberry rhubarbs, blueberries and cherries that have a tart to sweet fruit base. All of them good in their fruity, fruity kind of way, but sometimes you just want a different kind of pie experience. That's what you get with this tart. What's that you say? Last time you checked, a pear was a fruit? Have the gods of science pulled a Pluto on you? Fear not, there's been no reclassification of pears; there is no such thing as a dwarf fruit. This is still a summer pie. So what's up with the Fall flavor? It’s all in the filling. It’s got that cinnamon/nutmeg custard kind of flavor that you usually only find when the leaves are starting to fall off the trees.

This wonderful tart is not too sweet and has no hint of glazed "jellyness" or "puddingness" anywhere to be found. The pears lend a subtle sweetness that complements the custard base so well. This results in a smooth experience that you can eat any time of year.

In fact, I might even say that the custard is the dominant feature in this pie. Did my crazed custard contingency out there catch that last sentence? This heaven in a crust can be found at the Bronxville Farmer’s market on Saturday mornings so if you live in NYC, it’s just a tiny bit of a trip into Westchester. I, being totally pieddicted, would travel miles just for one bite of this tart so if you can’t wait for the usual Fall pies to get here either, check out the Pear Tart from What’s For Dessert.