Flaky Butter Pear Tarts

For The Pastry Dough:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (kept very cold and cut into small chunks, 8oz)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons iced water

For The Filling:

• 2 1/4 ounces unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 1/4 ounces sugar
• 1 large egg
• 6 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ounces I small tub ready made vanilla pudding (3 1/2)
• 2 large ripe pears
• 2 tablespoons sugar for sprinkling on top

Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 6 four inch tart shells.
2. In a bowl combine the flour, salt and cold butter chunks. Rub them together with your fingertips until most of it has been squashed. You still want to keep large chunks as this helps with the pastry layers.
3. Add the iced water and gently mix together with your hand until a soft ball forms.
4. Wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
5. Using a stand mixer, beat the soft butter and sugar together until light.
6. Add the egg and vanilla, beat until it's all well mixed together.
7. Fold the flour into the mixture and then the vanilla pudding. Set aside.
8. Once the pastry dough has rested, roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out circles large enough to fill 6 four inch tart shells.
9. Place the dough into the tart molds and trim to fit. Transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to rest.
10. Blind bake the pastry shells using parchment paper and dry beans in the oven for 20 minutes.
11. Once the shells have cooled slightly, fill them with about a heaped tablespoon of the filling mixture.
12. Peel the pears and slice into four wedges around the core.
13. Take each wedge of pear and slice it again thinly. This will be the pear slices which will go on top of your filling mixture.
14. Once you slice the pear thinly, push it down with your fingers to create the fanned look, place your knife below the slices and scoop them up and place them on top of the filling mixture.
15. Gently push the down slightly until some of the mixture comes up over the sides of the pear. This will give the tarts the look of the sponge top around the edges.
16. Sprinkle the tarts liberally with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Turn the oven up to 375 degrees F.
17. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 55 minutes and the tops start to get golden brown in color.
18. Once the tarts have cooled, combine the water and sugar in a small pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes until it thickens into a syrup and using a pastry brush, carefully glaze the tops of the tarts to get a nice shine.