Pear Tart with Poire William Cream

 Ingredients

Pie crust:

• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp ice water

Pears:

• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 lbs. small pears if you can find them, or 5 Bosc pears, peeled and halved lengthwise

Pastry cream:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 2 tbsp poire william (pear eau-de-vie)
• 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

Glaze:

• 2 tbsp poire William
• 3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin

Instructions

1. Use a large tart pan (10" round or 13x4 oblong) with removable bottom.
2. Shell: Prepare as the usual pie crust (pulse butter and flour in processor, then add slowly the egg yolk and liquid until form a pastry ball but do not over process). Roll out the dough to a size larger than the pan, drape over your rolling pin and transfer to the pan. Fit the dough into the pan, pressing gently. Prick the bottom and chill 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375F with rack in the middle. Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
4. Poach pears: Put wine in large pot. Add sugar and bring to a boil. Add pears and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender, 20 minutes. Drain into a bowl and add to the cooking liquid. Cool completely.
5. Pastry cream: Whisk yolks and cornstarch. Combine with 1 cup of the cooking liquid and bring to a boil with the vanilla bean. Bring to a boil and stir vigorously for a minute over medium heat. Whisk in Poire William and cover with saran. Cool completely.
6. Glaze: combine both ingredients in a small bowl and let sit for one minute.
7. Assemble: spread pastry cream on tart. Pan pears on top. Warm up the glaze and pour over the tart. Remove bottom.

Additional Notes

Delicious served with ice cream.