Salted Caramel Mascarpone Pear Tart
A silky smooth mascarpone filling flavored with salted caramel and cognac in a toasted pecan crust. Then topped with sliced pears. The perfect pairing of salty and sweet, smooth and crunchy! A dessert worthy of any special occasion.
Ingredients
Salted Caramel
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 4 tsp Water
- 2 TBSP Butter cut into cubes I use salted
- ⅓ cup Whipping cream
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Sea salt Or to taste
Toasted Pecan Crust
- 8 oz Pecans finely chopped about 1 ¾ cups
- 1 TBSP Sugar
- 2 TBSP Pure maple syrup
- 3 TBSP Butter melted
Mascarpone Filling
- 8 oz Mascarpone cheese
- 3 TBSP Salted caramel
- 1 TBSP Sugar
- 1 TBSP Cognac
- ¼ tsp Vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Heavy whipping cream
Topping
- 2 TBSP Granulated sugar
- 2 TBSP Water
- 2 about 4 inch tall Bartlett Pears ripe but firm
Instructions
Salted Caramel
- In a small bowl combine the sugar and water. Using one of the pieces of butter rub the sides and bottom of a small saucepan. Carefully pour the sugar mixture into the pan. Don't stir it after it's in the pan. You can swirl the mixture gently while it is cooking to make sure it doesn't burn. Place over medium heat just until the edges start to bubble. Reduce heat to low cook for about 6-8 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and it looks syrupy (the mixture should be bubbling gently the whole time). Use a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan while it is cooking.
- Remove from the heat. Add the heavy whipping cream a little at a time whisking to incorporate. Add the butter. Return to a boil over medium heat and boil 1-3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Pour into a heatproof dish, don't scrape the sides of the pan. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Toasted Pecan Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375° F
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl, mix until well combined.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 4.5" x 14" tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the tart pan on a tray to catch any leaks and bake for 14-16 minutes or until the pecans are well toasted. Cool completely.
Mascarpone Filling
- In a mixing bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, salted caramel, sugar, cognac, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fluffy about 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly add about ¼ cup of the whipping cream while beating. Beat until smooth. Add the rest of the cream and whip until smooth and stiff about 3-4 minutes (be careful not to overbeat).
- Spread the filling into the cooled crust. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
Topping
- In a small saucepan (I use a 2 cup metal measuring cup) combine the water and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally or until it is a thin sticky syrup consinsty. (test by dipping the back of a clean spoon in the mixture testing between your fingers, after it is cool enough!) Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Cool completely before using (It should look somewhat like honey when it is cooled).
- Just before or a couple hours before serving. Remove the tart from the pan. Peel, core, and thinly slice the pears. Working as fast as you can so they don't go brown while you are layering them onto the tart.
- Start layering the pear slices on the tart with the skinny side toward the center and the round part toward the end of which ever end you are starting on. Layer, alternating sides so they overlap in the middle. You should have two rows of pears with a criss cross look in the center. Brush the sugar glaze onto all the exposed areas of the pears. Drizzle with more salted caramel when serving.