Pear and Cheese Tart

Memorial Day was last weekend here in the USA, it always conjures up images of beaches, boats and barbeques.  Besides looking forward to a nice long holiday weekend, we also remembered  the men and women who sacrificed their lives.  I saw a post just recently with the words “Home of the free, because of the brave”!  How very true!

We got invited to a barbecue, and when I asked the hostess what I could bring to add to the menu, she said “I think we’re ok, but just because it’s you, I’d ask you to please bring something”.  Now I wasn’t quite sure how to take that, was it a compliment I wondered? :).  It’s fairly known around these parts that I enjoy cooking, and that I love cooking for others even more.  I decided to bring my infamous Pear and Cheese Tart – hardly barbecue worthy, but what the heck I thought!  It’s a recipe passed on by cousins Joe & Noreen, and it has forever had rave reviews.

Assembling the ingredients – a yellow and green pear? I sent my husband out to bring either 2 yellow or 2 green pears. Is he color blind?

Now for the base ingredients – In a cake mixer, add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup all purpose flour, blend all ingredients.

Add to a 10″ or 11″ tart pan with a removable bottom. Make sure you get it up the sides of the tart pan for the ripple effect.

Now cream the filling in the mixer – 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg. Use spatula to smoothen the filling over the base.

Thinly slice about 2 pears and add this over the filling in a concentric circle.

I guess the yellow and green doesn’t look so bad after all – I’ll forgive my husband this time 🙂

Last, but not least top with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes or until edge of cheese mixture is a golden brown.

VOILA!! Would you care for a slice?… and you can’t tell the yellow/green when it’s all said and done. 😀