Korean Pear Tarts

This is one of my favorite desserts to make, between the flaky pie crust and the delicious fruit it always makes a great treat!

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

- 3 c. all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 3/4 c. unsalted butter, cubed

- 4-6 tbsp. ice-cold water

Filling:

-1 c. sugar

-Dash of salt

-1/3 c. water

-1 tsp. cinnamon

-1/2 tsp. ground ginger

-1 tsp. nutmeg

-1 Korean pear

-1 tbsp. lemon juice

-2 tbsp. butter

To start we'll begin with the pie crust. You can use a pre-made dough but I always enjoy making it from scratch. Set aside 3 tablespoons of cold water and add an ice cube into the container.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour and salt making sure they are well blended.

Next, add in the butter and taking a pastry cutter blend them until the mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle the water over the mixture and blend until the dough begins to clump and come together.

If the dough seems to dry add another tablespoon until the clumps begin to appear.

Once the dough is mixed transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until it comes together about two to three times. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disc.

Wrap the discs in plastic and put them in the fridge for two hours. I would suggest starting the filling when the dough has about 30 minutes left in the fridge.

Chop the pear into small pieces and set aside. You can peel the pears before chopping them but I think it adds a bit of color to the filling.

In a medium saucepan whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and cinnamon until the mixture is smooth. Add in the pears and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for two minutes or until the mixture becomes thick.

Korean pears are a great blend of the sweetness of pear and the texture of an apple. When cooked in this recipe they become tender while keeping a bit of crunch!

Take the saucepan off the heat and cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the pie crust from the fridge and place one disc onto a lightly floured surface or a silicone mat. Taking a rolling pin roll the first disc out until it's about 1/4 of an inch.

The crust recipe is for a standard pie but for this recipe I usually use mini pie or small tart pans. Once the dough is rolled out cover the pan and press into the bottom.

Trim the edges of the excess dough to give it a neat edge.

Roll the other disc to the same thickness. This disc will be used for decorating the top of your tarts. Feel free to use any shapes or designs that you like. For the season I used small leaves and snowflake designs and lay them over top.

I usually like to brush the top crust and edges with either butter or an egg mixture before sprinkling sugar over top. This can give it a golden brown look while also adding some sweetness to the crust.

Put the tarts in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is mostly cooked. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan on cooling racks. Cut and serve.

Great with whipped cream or Cool Whip!