Hazelnut Cheesecake Tart with Pears and Pomegranate

I have been in Seattle for the last week or so visiting family, brushing up on my "duck, duck, goose" skills and reconnecting with some friends I haven't seen in ages. Seattle is totally living up to it's reputation and it has been 40º and raining for pretty much my entire visit...but it has been such a good excuse to eat lots of soup, cozy up by the fire and go to sleep early every night.  It also has been a wonderful and restful way to ease into the holiday season which feels busier and more hectic every year.

Last year around this time I was deep into writing my book, and didn't have a ton of free time for holiday baking fun and homemade gifts, but I have big plans this year! I might even need to buy myself a new glue gun, watch out Martha Stewart.

First up in my holiday baking spree is this super delicious cheesecake-inspired tart. Cheesecake can be heavy and cloyingly sweet, but in this tart the combination of creamy mascarpone, toasty hazelnuts and sweet-tart pears and pomegranates are a lovely and balanced combination. 

What's on your holiday baking list this year? I am always looking for new ideas!

Hazelnut Cheesecake Tart with Pears and Pomegranate

makes one 10-inch tart

Creamy mascarpone, toasted hazelnuts and sweet-tart pears and pomegranates are a wonderful combination of textures and flavors in this festive holiday tart. This tart can be made in advance, but the crust will soften in the refrigerator as it sits.

Crust

2/3 cup hazelnuts

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 large egg yolk

1-2 tablespoons cold water, as needed

Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

8 ounces mascarpone, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch salt

Topping

2 pears, ripe but firm

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, grind the hazelnuts and confectioner’s sugar until they resemble flour. Add the flour and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and one tablespoon of water. Pulse until the mixture begins to hold together, add a bit more water if necessary. The dough should hold together easily when squeezed. Pour the mixture out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a ball. Wrap the ball with the plastic wrap and press into a disc. Chill for 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle. Fit the dough into lightly buttered 10-inch tart pan and dock the bottom and sides with a fork. Freeze the shell for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line the tart shell with a lightly greased sheet of foil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until light golden brown on the edges. Remove the foil and let the shell cool slightly. Turn the oven down to 350ºF.

With an electric mixer whip the cream cheese and mascarpone together until light and fluffy. Whip in the sugar followed by the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and smooth.

Pour the filling into the tart shell and bake until puffed and set, but still slightly wiggly in the center, 20-25 minutes. Let the tart cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight before serving.

Roast the pears: Preheat oven to 375­ºF. Peel core and slice the pears into 1/4-inch slices. Toss the pears, sugar, and lemon juice together on a baking sheet and roast until soft and slightly caramelized, 25-30 minutes.

Let the pears cool to room temperature then top the chilled tart with the roasted pears and pomegranate seeds.

Straight-Up Peach Pie

It has been a few summers since I last made a peach pie, but from past experience I know that I am a peach pie purist. Sweet-honeyed fruit encased in a buttery crust needs no adornment, no spices, and no additional flavorings: just perfect peaches sweetened with a bit of sugar, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt to enhance their natural flavor. So, when I set out to make my ideal peach pie the only decision I had to make was whether to peel the fruit. I took a little informal survey on Instagram and Facebook to see how you all feel about peeling peaches and I got a lot of impassioned responses on both sides, but in the end sided with my pro-peeling pal Elizabeth and carefully peeled mine with a vegetable peeler (a great method she suggested I can't believe I hadn't done before). You can also blanch and peel the peaches, which I have done in the past, but using a peeler was so much easier. 

Go forth and pie, Summer's not over yet guys!

p.s. if you live near NYC, Fishkill Farms still has a lot of lovely and tasty peaches and nectarines in their PYO fields, which is where these field photos were taken. Don't forget to wear a hat and sunscreen if you decide to venture out to the orchards!

Straight-Up Peach Pie

Most peach pie recipes call for 3/4-1 cup of sugar, which I think is waaay too much for in-season, sweet fruit so I have reduced it to 1/2 cup for this recipe. Feel free to use light brown sugar here in place of the granulated for a richer flavor. I like my peach pies super simple, so there are no spices at all in this pie, but sometimes a tiny bit of freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon is nice.

Crust

12 ounces all purpose flour 

1 teaspoons salt

9 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

4 ounces ice cold water

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Filling

7 medium peaches (about 3 1/2 lbs), ripe but firm

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch salt

juice from 1/2 lemon

egg, for egg wash

turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

To make the crust: 

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in half of the butter until it is the size of peas, then cut in the other half until it is the size lima beans. Some of the butter will be completely worked into the flour, but you should have lots of visible pieces of butter in the dough too. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the water over the dough. Use a gentle hand or wooden spoon to mix the water into the flour until just combined. If the dough seems very dry, add more water a couple of teaspoons at a time. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart. Press the dough together, then split it in half, form into discs and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using, or overnight.

To Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 425º and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/4-1/8-inch thick and place it into a 9-inch pie pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie. 

Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/4-1/8-inch thick and place it in the fridge on a sheet pan to chill while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling: use a vegetable peeler to carefully peel the peaches. Cut them into 1/2-inch wedges and add them to a bowl. Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine. If the peaches seem especially juicy, add a bit more cornstarch.

Fill the prepared pie shell with the peaches and top with the second crust. Crimp the edges and cut a few vents in the top. 

Alternately, you can top the pie with a lattice-style crust as I've done in the photos above. Here is a link to a great photo tutorial on Simply Recipes. When I make a lattice topped pie, I like to use nice thick strips of dough, so the ones pictured above are about 2-inches wide.

Slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes  or until the crust is nice and firm before you bake it. When you are ready to bake, brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg and sprinkle with a healthy dose of coarse sugar.

Put the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15 minutes on the lowest rack of your oven, then lower the oven temp to 400º and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is deep golden brown and the juices bubble. Cool before serving.