Chocolate and Pear Tart
– Gooey chocolate tart with pears that are soaked in sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry –
Rich and indulgent, and full of flavor, this chocolate and pear tart recipe uses a chocolate tart base and Pedro Ximénez, a sweet Spanish sherry, to infuse the delicious flavors of the pears with the gooey chocolate filling. It is oh so special and must be tried at least a few times!Â
This tart recipe is the ultimate dinner party pleaser and not only tastes incredible but also looks fantastic with the thinly sliced pears that ooze around the chocolate filling of the tart. This recipe does take a little time but can be made well in advance and chilled until ready to be served. Makes 8 servings and can be served hot or cold.
Serving:
8 people
Ready in:
 3 hours
Skill level:
medium
Serve with:
Fresh cream or ice cream
About This Recipe
When it comes to pear dessert recipes, this recipe hangs from the top of the tree! The pears are simmered in the famous Pedro Ximénez sherry, a sweet Spanish sherry that’s ideal for cooking, for use in desserts, or serving alongside sweet dishes.Â
This chocolate and pear tart recipe also adds the delicate flavors of vanilla and a little zest from an orange and lemon resulting in a deliciously balanced fruity flavor that marries perfectly with the rich chocolate filling and base of the tart.Â
Pear recipes in Spanish cuisine
Figuring out what to do with pears in the kitchen can be tricky, but it’s quite common for pears to be used in Spanish cooking.Â
The most common place you’re likely to find pear recipes in Spain is in the Catalonia region. ‘Picada’ is a signature feature of many dishes in Catalan cuisine and refers to the pairing of sweet and sour flavors, most notably used in the cooking of hearty meat stews or casseroles that are stewed with fruits of the region such as prunes, peaches, or pears. Â
One such dish which uses pears is the Catalan duck with pears called Ànec amb peres in Catalan.
Want to know more about Catalan cuisine? Check out our Catalonia regional foodie guide!
The ultimate chocolate and pear tart recipe
There are plenty of pear tart recipes out there, but once you smell the divine aromas of sweet sherry, lemon and orange zest, and pears, it’s not hard to see why this recipe quickly becomes a go-to favorite.Â
It does take a little longer to make compared to some other tart recipes, but the preparation and cooking process is straightforward and if you’re short on time, a store-bought tart base will work just fine.Â
We’ve infused cocoa into our tart base adding a super-indulgent chocolate flavor to the recipe, but it also works great using a normal tart base without the cocoa powder.
How to Make Chocolate and Pear Tart
Equipment
- 10-inch (25cm) tart pan with removable sides
- An Electric mixer or hand whisk
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 large 10-inch (25cm) frying pan
- Microwave (for melting the chocolate)
Ingredients
Method (step-by-step)
Serves 8–10 (makes 1 x 10-inch / 25cm tart)
For the base
- â…“ cup (1.2 Oz.) Cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp. Red Himalayan salt
- 1â…“ cups (6 Oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 4.5 Oz. unsalted butter, cut into small cubes around ¼ inch
- â…“ cup (2.3 Oz.) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
For the poached pears
- 1 cup (250ml) Pedro Ximénez (Sweet Spanish sherry)
- 9 Oz. (250g) caster sugar
- Pared zest of 1 orange
- Pared zest of 1 lemon
- 1 vanilla bean
- 3 pears, cut lengthways into 5mm thick slices
For the chocolate filling
- 4.2 Oz. (120g) caster sugar
- 3.5 Oz. (100g) unsalted butter, chopped
- 5 Oz. (140g) dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- (Optional) 0.5 Oz. crushed pistachio nuts (or a little icing sugar) for decoration.
Method (step-by-step)
Step 1 – Prepare the base
- Sift the flour, salt, and cocoa powder and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cubes of butter and gently rub the mixture with your fingers till it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Next, stir in the sugar and egg and knead the mixture until it becomes a firm dough ball.Â
- Roll out some plastic film on a clean section of the work area and flatten out the dough ball with your palms until it’s a disk around ¼ inch (8-10mm) thick.Â
- Cover the disk with film and then roll out with a rolling pin (a wine bottle makes the perfect rolling pin if you don’t have one).
- Carefully place the disk in the fridge and refrigerate for 1.5 hours.
Step 2 – Bake the base
- Preheat oven to 390°F/200°C
- Leave your disk at room temperature to soften for around 10 minutes.Â
- Once the dough is softened, roll it out until around 3-4mm thick. Lay the base over the tart pan and gently press the dough disk into the mold. Be sure to gently press the base into the edges of the tart pan. Use a knife to trim the edges.
- Place base on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes (Optionally, you can use baking beads with a little baking paper to protect the base).Â
- Set aside to cool.
Step 3 – Prepare the pears
- In a large pan or frying pan on medium heat, add the Pedro Ximénez sherry, sugar, zest of lemon and orange, vanilla pod, and 2 cups of fresh water to the pan. Keep stirring gently until all the sugar has dissolved.Â
- Add the pear slices and cover with parchment paper and simmer for around 20-25 minutes.
Step 4 – Prepare the chocolate filling
- In a large pan on medium heat, add 3 Oz. (85 grams) of caster sugar into the pan with 3 tablespoons of water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- In a microwavable bowl, add the chocolate and cook on high for 2 minutes, remove and stir, and cook again for another 1 minute or until the chocolate has melted.Â
- While the chocolate is melting, add the cubed butter and stir into the mixture. Once infused with the sugar and water, remove from the heat and slowly fold in the melted chocolate. Set aside for use later.Â
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs and the remaining caster sugar until you get soft peaks. This should take around 10 minutes by hand (or 5 minutes using an electric mixer).
- Once you have soft peaks add the egg and sugar mixture into the chocolate and mix through until smooth.
Step 5 – Arrange the filling and pears and bake
- Add the chocolate mixture to the cooled tart base. Allow a minute for the filling to settle and even out.Â
- Next, use some tongs to arrange the pear slices on top of the chocolate mixture. They will sink a little but that’s totally fine!Â
- Bake for around 30 minutes at 390°F/200°C or until the tart filling is firm.Â
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before removing sides from the tart pan (if you have the time, chill in the fridge for 2 hours before removing sides of tart pan, it’ll hold together much better once chilled).Â
- Decorate the tart with a dusting of icing sugar or some crushed pistachio nuts.
Step 6 – To serve
- The chocolate and pear tart can either be served chilled or warmed up slightly.
- Best served with some freshly whipped cream and a small glass of Pedro Ximénez sherry or sweet dessert wine.
Looking to party? Make mini chocolate and pear tartlets
The recipe above can be easily adapted to make a dozen mini Chocolate and pear tartlets which are ideal for dinner parties. Simply roll out the base and use a small 4-inch bowl as a template to cut circular disks that can then be put into a muffin tray and loaded with the pears and filling.
To make the tartlets:
Roll the base a little thinner, say around 2-3mm thick and reduce the baking time to 10 minutes for the base and cooking time of 20 minutes for the filling.
Chocolate and pear tart infused in Sweet Spanish sherry
Equipment
- 1 10-inch (25cm) tart pan with removable sides
- 1 Electric mixer (or hand whisk)
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 large 10-inch (25cm) frying pan
- 1 Microwave (for melting the chocolate
Ingredients
For the base
- â…“ cup 1.2 Oz. Cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp. Red Himalayan salt
- 1â…“ cups 6 Oz. all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 4.5 Oz. unsalted butter cut into small cubes around ¼ inch
- â…“ cup 2.3 Oz. granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
For the poached pears
- 1 cup 250ml Pedro Ximénez (Sweet Spanish sherry)
- 9 Oz. 250g caster sugar
- Pared zest of 1 orange
- Pared zest of 1 lemon
- 1 vanilla bean
- 3 pears cut lengthways into 5mm thick slices
For the chocolate filling
- 4.2 Oz. 120g caster sugar
- 3.5 Oz. 100g unsalted butter, chopped
- 5 Oz. 140g dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- Optional 0.5 Oz. crushed pistachio nuts (or a little icing sugar) for decoration.
Instructions
Step 1 - Prepare the base
- Sift the flour,salt, and cocoa powder and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cubes of butter and gently rub the mixture with your fingers till it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Next, stir in the sugar and egg and knead the mixture until it becomes a firm dough ball.
- Roll out some plastic film on a clean section of the work area and flatten out the dough ball with your palms until it’s a disk around ¼ inch (8-10mm) thick.
- Cover the disk with film and then roll out with a rolling pin (a wine bottle makes the perfect rolling pin if you don’t have one).
- Carefully place the disk in the fridge and refrigerate for 1.5 hours.
Step 2 - Bake the base
- Preheat oven to 390°F/200°C
- Leave your disk at room temperature to soften for around 10 minutes.
- Once the dough is softened, roll it out until around 3-4mm thick. Lay the base over the tart pan and gently press the dough disk into the mould. Be sure to gently press the base into the edges of the tart pan. Use a knife to trim the edges.
- Place base on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes (Optionally, you can use baking beads with a little baking paper to protect the base).
- Set aside to cool.
Step 3 - Prepare the pears
- In a large pan or frying pan on medium heat, add the Pedro Ximénez sherry, surar, zest of lemon and orange, vanilla pod, and 2 cups of fresh water to the pan. Keep stirring gently until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the pear slices and cover with parchment paper and simmer for around 20-25 minutes.
Step 4 - Prepare the chocolate filling
- In a large pan on medium heat, add 3 Oz. (85 grams) of caster sugar into the pan with 3 tablespoons of water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- In a microwavable bowl, add the chocolate and cook on high for 2 minutes, remove and stir, and cook again for another 1 minute or until the chocolate has melted.
- While the chocolate is melting, add the cubed butter and stir into the mixture. Once infused with the sugar and water, remove from the heat and slowly fold in the melted chocolate. Set aside for use later.
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs and the remaining caster sugar until you get soft peaks. This should take around 10 minutes by hand (or 5 minutes using an electric mixer).
- Once you have soft peaks add the egg and sugar mixture into the chocolate and mix through until smooth.
Step 5 - Arrange the filling and pears and bake
- Add the chocolate mixture to the cooled tart base. Allow a minute for the filling to settle and even out.
- Next, use some tongs to arrange the pear slices on top of the chocolate mixture. They will sink a little but that’s totally fine!
- Bake for around 30 minutes at 390°F/200°C or until the tart filling is firm.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before removing sides from the tart pan (if you have the time, chill in the fridge for 2 hours before removing sides of tart pan, it’ll hold together much better once chilled).
- Decorate tart with a dusting of icing sugar or some crushed pistachio nuts.
Step 6 - To serve
- The chocolate and pear tart can either be served chilled or warmed up slightly.
- Best served with some freshly whipped cream and a small glass of Pedro Ximénez sherry or a sweet dessert wine.