Ah, the pear; it has always been my favorite fruit. My grandmother would buy them especially for when I came over. I’d let them sit a couple days past ripeness then scarf down the drippy mess in no time at all.

So being my favorite of all favorite, I’ve always wanted to cook with them. The two problems I run into? Well, first: most of my go-to recipes involved much more traditional fair (i.e. apples, bananas, etc). Secondly, being such a delicate fruit, how could I use it as a star ingredient if it just withers away once baked? After finding green pears on sale at the grocery store (it’s pear season, people!), I decided to do some research.

So I thought and thought and then, well, I googled pears. I found this recipe and I said SURE! Every once in a while, I feel like being fancy. I think everyone, more or less, gets this urge. I, of course, channel it into my baking.

The crust (makes 2 batches, you can refrigerate one):
2 c. flour
9 tbs. plus 1 tbs. butter, cold and cubed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
4-8 tbs. water

Pear filling:
2 medium pears, pealed, cored and sliced
1 tsp. almond extract
2 tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix pears, almond extract, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix flour, salt and sugar. Take cubed butter (9 tbs) and cut into the dry mixture (I used a fork). Once the pieces of butter are roughly the size of a pea, start adding water one tablespoon at a time until everything starts to combine. Roll dough into a ball, then cut in half. Put one half in the fridge, and use the other half for the tart. Roll it out on floured surface. Cut the dough into a circle about 10 inches in circumference. Take pear mixture and place decoratively in the center, then fold over the edges. Take remaining butter and place on top of tart, then bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

Note for making a great tart: This is a very simple way to impress everyone. When you go to a party, which sounds better: “Oh I brought the cheese plate” or “Oh I brought the almond pear tart, which I made from scratch”? It’s a fancy idea without all the fancy ingredients and preparation! And hey, I cut mine like a pizza and served it by the slice. Plop a little homemade whipped cream on top and how much better could it get? It couldn’t, obviously.