Spring is here and so are some of the many delicious fruits that come with the season. Pears come in so many different varieties that it makes it hard to choose one to fit your taste. Bartlett pears have the perfect mix of crunchiness and sweetness, as opposed to other pears that tend to be much softer and more mellow in flavor. The amalgamation of Bartlett pears and Granny Smith apples create a great balance of sweet and tart which is superb in our “Perfect Pear-adise Tart.”

Primavera Pear-adise Tart

Crust

1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

8-10 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and

2-3 tbsp ice water

- In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt.

- While pulsing the food processor, gradually add butter, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture becomes coarse and mealy.

- Slowly add ice water. Stop adding water as soon as the dough begins to come together. The dough will begin to come together and form a ball.

- Cover the dough ball in plastic wrap and form into a disc. Place in refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

Filling

3-4 small Bartlett pears, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 small Granny Smith apple, cut into 1/4-inch slices

3 tbsp sugar

Juice of 3 limes

- Squeeze the juice of the limes into a large bowl. As you cut the pears and the apple, place them in the bowl with the lime juice. This will keep them from turning color.

- Sprinkle the sugar over the pear/apple mixture and lightly toss to combine.

- Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

To Prepare:

- Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper (each piece should be slightly larger than your tart pan/pie dish).

- Transfer the rolled-out dough to tart pan. Remove any excess dough from edges.

- Once the dough is in the tart pan, transfer pear/apple mixture to the tart pan.

- Bake in 400-degree oven for 40 minutes.

- Let cool for 10 minutes and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

QUICK TIPS:

- Using parchment paper that is the size of your tart pan gives you a guide for rolling out your dough and saves you the mess of dusting your rolling surface with flour because nothing sticks to parchment paper.

- To keep the crust and top of the filling from burning, place a sheet of foil over the tart for the first 30 minutes of baking.