Pear and walnut tart in the air fryer
A crisp shortcrust pastry base filled with juicy, cinnamon-spiced pear slices and topped with crunchy toasted walnuts. The tart finishes baking in the air fryer and tastes best warm with a dollop of whipped cream.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Tart pan About 20 cm, must fit in the air fryer basket
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Parchment paper For blind baking
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
150 g plain flour
90 g butter Cold, cut into small cubes
30 g icing sugar
1 pcs egg yolk
1 tbsp cold water
Pear filling
3 pcs pears Firm, e.g. Conference
1 tbsp lemon juice
50 g cane sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla sugar
Walnut topping
75 g walnuts Roughly chopped- 20 g butter Melted
- 1 tbsp cane sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Shortcrust pastry
- Rub 150 g plain flour, 30 g icing sugar and 90 g butter together between your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Add 1 pcs egg yolk and 1 tbsp cold water, and quickly bring the dough together. Knead only until it just holds together, or the base will turn out tough.
- Press the dough flat, wrap it in cling film and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preparation
- Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper and line a tart tin about 20 cm across that fits in your air fryer basket. Press the dough well up the sides and trim off the excess edge.
- Prick the base with a fork, line the tin with a piece of baking paper and fill with dried beans or rice as baking weights.
- Cut 3 pcs pears into thin slices and toss them with 1 tbsp lemon juice, 50 g cane sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp cornflour and 1 tsp vanilla sugar.
- Roughly chop 75 g walnuts and mix them with 20 g butter, 1 tbsp cane sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C.
- Blind bake the tart base for 10 minutes at 160 °C. Then remove the baking weights and paper, and bake for a further 3 minutes, until the base is dry and lightly golden.
- Fill the pre-baked base with the pear mixture and arrange the top slices in a fan shape, so the tart has an even height.
- Continue baking the tart for 12 minutes at 160 °C, until the pear slices are tender.
- Sprinkle the walnut mixture evenly over the tart and bake for the final 5 minutes at 160 °C, until the nuts smell toasted and the top is golden brown.
Serving
- Let the tart cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes, so the filling sets, before releasing it.
- Serve the tart warm in wedges with whipped cream, crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Tips for the perfect result:
Keep everything cold while you make the pastry — cold butter and a well-chilled dough give the crispest base. Never skip blind baking in the air fryer, as the juicy pear filling can easily make the base soggy. Variation:
Swap the walnuts for pecans or hazelnuts, and grate a little lemon zest into the pear filling for a fresher taste. A couple of tablespoons of grated marzipan sprinkled over the base before the filling makes the tart even richer. Serving:
Serve the tart warm with whipped cream, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream. A little soft brown sugar sprinkled over just before serving adds an extra caramel note. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake the tart in two small tins in two batches.
Keep everything cold while you make the pastry — cold butter and a well-chilled dough give the crispest base. Never skip blind baking in the air fryer, as the juicy pear filling can easily make the base soggy. Variation:
Swap the walnuts for pecans or hazelnuts, and grate a little lemon zest into the pear filling for a fresher taste. A couple of tablespoons of grated marzipan sprinkled over the base before the filling makes the tart even richer. Serving:
Serve the tart warm with whipped cream, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream. A little soft brown sugar sprinkled over just before serving adds an extra caramel note. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake the tart in two small tins in two batches.
Nutrition
Calories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 8gFat: 38gSaturated fat: 16gPolyunsaturated fat: 12gMonounsaturated fat: 8gTrans fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 25mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 5gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 800IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2mgNet carbohydrates: 57g
