Pear Dark Chocolate Crumble Tart
So. Yeah. It’s December. You need chocolate. Creamy, rich, deep, dark chocolate.
Inside of a hot, juicy, bubbling, steaming, succulent, pear-filled crumble tart, perhaps.
With a rich, tender, flaky, sweet tart crust. And a crispy, clumpy, irresistible crumble topping.
Yes. I think that’s what you require right now. This pear dark chocolate crumble tart. I prescribe it. Food blogger’s orders.
Okay. So. Maybe you’re thinking, “Dark chocolate? Mixed with pears? Inside a tart? With a crumble topping? What in the —?!”
And. I get it. A pear dark chocolate crumble tart sounds interesting. Indeed.
But. Interesting can also mean delicious. And unique. And sophisticated. And special. And incredible. And comforting. And everything you didn’t know you needed.
Yes. Dare I say it? A pear crumble tart with bittersweet chocolate chunks dispersed throughout it is everything you didn’t know you needed.
I mean. Firstly. We got the pears. Spiced with cinnamon and cardamom and nutmeg and vanilla and sweetened with sugar.
The pear filling for this crumble tart is sweet and spiced. And it bakes up into a mixture that is so juicy and succulent, tender and jammy, and bubbling and steamy.
Now. Add little pools of melted dark chocolate chunks into the mix. And lemme tell you — NEXT LEVEL flavor and indulgence.
That thick, steaming, jammy pear mixture with the bits of deep, rich dark melted chocolate — why would you ever NOT add chocolate chunks into your pies/tarts/crisps/crumbles, is the question.
As for the tart crust. And crumble. They’re the same mixture!
Get a bowl. Ready your hands. Mix together the dry ingredients. Crumble in the butter or coconut oil with your fingers (yes, you can use coconut oil and thus yield a completely dairy-free tart!). Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
And voila, the rich, tender, flaky tart crust and the crispy crumble topping are done. No machines, and no need to chill the dough in disks before transferring it to your tart pan.
Also. You don’t have to use a fancy rectangle tart pan like I did. You can definitely use a round one if that’s what you have or prefer.
So. Press most of the dough into your tart pan. And now you should chill it just while you prep the pear chocolate filling (no extra time spent). Fill the chilled crust with the pears and chocolate. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the filling in little clumpy clump things. Scatter a lil more chocolate over top. And bake!
In summary. Much quicker and easier than a traditional tart. Much more unique and unexpected. So cozy and indulgent and comforting. Perfectly sweet and spiced and chocolatey and succulent and tender and everything in between.
Pear dark chocolate crumble tart — you are the December/winter/cold/darkness antidote.
Pear Dark Chocolate Crumble Tart
Yield: about 10 servings
Crust and Crumble:
2 1/4 cups packed flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter or coconut oil,* softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Filling:
4 large pears (Bosc or Concorde recommended)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9” round tart pan or 14x4” rectangle tart pan with removable bottom and place onto a baking sheet.
2. Crust and crumble: in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add in the butter/coconut oil and mix with fingers until crumbly. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix till combined.
3. Set aside a little under half the dough for crumble. Press the rest firmly into the bottom and up the sides of prepared tart pan. Refrigerate crust while preparing filling.
4. Filling: slice pears into thin wedges. Mix with the rest of the filling ingredients and most of the chocolate. Pour filling into chilled crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumble and the rest of the chocolate chunks.
5. Bake tart on lower oven rack for 45-55 minutes, until fruit juices are bubbling and tart is deeply golden all over. Let cool before easing out of pan and slicing.
*Note: use refined coconut oil if you don’t want any coconut flavor in your tart.
