Ripe pears enclosed in a rich chocolate pastry.
21/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, chilled
cup granulated sugar Pinch salt
1 large egg
5 tablespoons water
5 firm ripe pears (about 2 pounds) Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Pulse the flour, cocoa, butter, sugar and salt with the metal blade of a food processor until combined, about 6 times. Add the egg and pulse twice. With the motor running, add the water by the tablespoon through the feed tube until the dough forms a ball.
Remove the dough and divide it in half. Flatten each half into a 1 -inch thick disc, cover with foil and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one half of the dough into a 1/4-inch [6mm] thick circle. Press the dough into an oiled 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, leaving a 1-inch overhang.
Cut the pears in half lengthwise. Core and peel each half and process them with the all-purpose slicing disc; arrange them in the tart shell.
Roll out the remaining dough to a 1/4-inch thick circle. Place it over the pears and trim it, leaving a 1 -inch overhang.
Press the top and bottom crusts together and crimp the edges to seal. Cut a 1-inch hole in the center of the top crust to allowsteam to escape.
Bake the tart in the center of the preheated oven until the pears are tender and the crust is crisp, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Remove the side of the pan and dust the tart with confectioners' sugar.
Variation: For a richer chocolate flavor, sprinkle the bottom crust with 1 oz finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate before adding the pears. To finely chop chocolate, process chilled pieces with the metal blade for about 30 seconds.
Makes 8 servings
