If you’ve never made brown butter, it’s simple. You put butter in a pan and cook it until it develops the wonderful nutty aroma for which the French named it: beurre noisette, or hazelnut butter. Here, custard flavored with brown butter provides a rich background for a tart filled with dark rum–spiked pears and toasted pecans.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 9-inch (23-cm) tart; 8 to 10 servings

　　

Custard

3 large eggs

　　1/4 cup (35 g) all-purpose flour

　　3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　3 tablespoons (45 ml) dark rum

　　10 tablespoons (5 ounces/140 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

　　1/2 cup pecans (50 g), toasted and very coarsely chopped

　　

Pears

2 medium pears (1 pound/450 g)

　　2 tablespoons (30 g) packed dark or light brown sugar

　　1 tablespoon dark rum

　　Prebaked tart shell (page 229)

　　

Step 1

To make the custard, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, flour, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, and the 3 tablespoons (45 ml) rum.

　　

Step 2

In a large skillet, warm the butter over low heat. It will bubble and sizzle for a while before it settles down. Continue to cook over low heat until the butter darkens to the color of maple syrup and smells toasty but not burnt. Quickly and vigorously whisk it into the egg mixture, leaving behind any black sediment in the pan. Stir in the pecans. Refrigerate the custard mixture until chilled and thickened, about 1 hour.

　　

Step 3

To prepare the pears, peel, quarter, and core the pears, then cut them into slices 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. In a medium bowl, toss the pear slices with the brown sugar and the 1 tablespoon dark rum and let macerate for 15 minutes, tossing frequently to coat the slices.

　　

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

　　

Step 5

To assemble the tart, set the prebaked tart shell on a baking sheet. Arrange the pear slices in concentric circles in the tart shell. Pour the custard over the pears, filling the tart to the rim, but don’t overfill it.

　　

Step 6

Bake the tart on the baking sheet until browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

　　

Step 7

Remove the tart pan sides by setting the tart on an overturned bowl or other tall, wide surface (a large can of tomatoes works well). Gently press down on the outer ring and let the ring fall to the countertop. Set the tart on a flat surface. Release the tart from the pan bottom by sliding the blade of a knife between the crust and the pan bottom, then slip the tart onto a serving plate. (If it doesn’t release cleanly, simply serve the tart on the pan bottom.)

　　

Serving

Step 8

This tart can be served on its own or with whipped cream (page 239) flavored with pear eau-de-vie or dark rum. I sometimes serve slices with a scribble of Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce (page 243) or with a scoop of Chocolate Gelato (page 146).

　　

Storage

Step 9

The custard can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The tart is best the day it’s made, though it will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before serving.

　　

tip

Step 10

To protect yourself from splatters, invert a strainer or colander over the butter while it’s browning.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.