Gluten-Free French Tart

I’ve had a lot of success with this recipe; in fact, I find I prefer the gluten-free version of the pastry cream to the original flour-based recipe. The original used apples instead of pears, and no rosewater – so you can see that it’s pretty versatile!

Gluten-Free Pear Tart (adapted from Bistro: The Best of Casual French Cooking by Gerald Hirigoyen)

Tart pastry (see below)

1 cup pastry cream (see below)

3 large pears such as Anjou

2 Tbsp rosewater – optional

2 Tbsp melted butter

1 Tbsp sugar

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Line a 10-inch tart pan with the pastry dough; trim and return to refrigerator. Peel and core the pears and slice thinly into a shallow dish; sprinkle with rosewater and set aside.
• Spread pastry cream to 1/8” thickness in the tart pan. Thoroughly drain pear slices and layer evenly over the cream until it’s completely covered. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown and lightly caramelized, about 50 minutes.

Tart Pastry

2 cups baking mix – I use King Arthur gluten-free flour substitute

6 Tbsp butter

1 c confectioners’ sugar

1 egg

¼ tsp salt*

• Cream butter and sugar; add egg and salt. Cut in flour. Form into ball, wrap and chill 2-3 hours. The dough will be quite sticky at first but will dry rapidly. If not avoiding gluten, substitute an equal amount of all-purpose flour for the baking mix.

Gluten-Free Pastry Cream

2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt*

2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

6 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

• In a large saucepan, bring the milk and salt to a boil, take off the heat, and set aside.
• Beat the egg yolks and sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture is thick and light yellow, about 3 minutes. Turn the speed to low, and beat in the cornstarch. Then slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture and beat until well mixed. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
• Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the mixture becomes thick and starts to gently boil. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the cold butter and vanilla. If the mixture appears curdled, keep whisking and it will come together again. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, pressed directly on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. Makes enough for two tarts.
• The pastry cream can be made 2 to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Whisk the pastry cream until smooth before using.

*I use salted butter in both recipes, and omit the added salt.