David Herbert’s caramelised pear tart, and pear & white chocolate biscuits

This caramelised pear tart is a real hit in autumn. And the pear and white chocolate biscuits are irresistible.

EMBARGO FOR TWAM 29 MAY 2021 FEE APPLIESPear tart Pic : Guy Bailey Styling : David Morgan

I’ve used beurre bosc pears for these recipes, but you could also try a similar firm-fleshed pear such as corella. The orange and cardamom give the biscuits a subtle and interesting flavour; make sure to chill the dough, as this results in a chewy yet crisp texture.

CARAMELISED PEAR TART

For the crust

6 sheets ready-made filo pastry

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 to 4 medium beurre bosc pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Topping

¼ cup white granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Generous pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons double cream

Heat oven to 180C (fan). Lightly brush a 23cm tart tin with melted butter. Gently press a sheet of filo into the bottom and sides of the tin, letting it extend over the edges a little. Brush with butter and repeat with remaining sheets, brushing each layer with butter, and arranging them in rotation so the corners don't overlap. Fold in the edges, slightly pinching sides to form a pie shape. Arrange pear slices in decorative circles on top and sprinkle with sugar and cubes of butter. Bake for 45 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and pear is cooked. Remove from oven and transfer to rack; leave oven on.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, heat sugar and 1 tablespoon water until dissolved. Cook for 3-4 minutes, carefully swirling pan, until sugar begins to caramelise and turn golden.

Remove from heat; stir in butter and salt until combined; stir in cream. Return to medium heat and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and smooth. Remove from heat. Brush top of tart all over with sauce (reheat sauce if it becomes too thick). Return tart to oven and bake for 10 minutes until caramel begins to bubble. Remove and cool on rack completely before slicing. Serves 8

Pear and white chocolate biscuits. Picture: Guy Bailey

PEAR & WHITE CHOCOLATE BISCUITS

250g butter, softened

325g plain flour

7 cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely chopped or crushed in a mortar

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

200g light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

Finely grated zest 1 orange

1 egg, plus 1 yolk

200g white chocolate, chopped into roughly 1cm pieces

200g beurre bosc pear (about 1½ pears), peeled, cored and diced into 5mm pieces

In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook 150g butter until it has a deep, nutty aroma and turned golden (about eight minutes). Pour into a small bowl and refrigerate until solid. Sift the flour, ground cardamom seeds and bicarbonate of soda into a medium bowl then stir in a pinch of salt. Place the solid browned butter, remaining 100g softened butter, both sugars and the orange zest in a large bowl; with an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until slightly lighter in colour, but not too fluffy (about two minutes). Add the egg and egg yolk, mix until just combined, then add the flour mixture and beat until just starting to combine, with some dry bits still visible. Add the white chocolate and pear and mix gently until fully combined. Using your hands or two dessert spoons, shape the dough into golf-ball-sized balls (roughly 50g each); arrange about 6cm apart on an oven tray lined with baking tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours. Heat oven to 170C (fan). Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges but still puffy and soft in the centre. If you prefer a crisper biscuit, bake 2-3 minutes longer. Leave to cool slightly on the tray before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 25