Recipes and Cooking Vanilla Tart with Nutmeg Crust and Spiced Pears Be the first to rate & review! By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on June 23, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 30 mins Bake Time: 20 mins Cool Time: 1 hrs Chill Time: 30 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 12 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 7 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted ¼ cup sugar ¾ teaspoon Tahitian vanilla extract or vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ cup sugar 2 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch ⅛ teaspoon salt 2 cup half-and-half 2 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla extract or vanilla extract 1 recipe Spiced Pears (recipe below) Spiced Pears 1 ½ cup white wine ½ cup Poire William (pear liqueur) or pear nectar 2 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 2 tsp. vanilla 3 firm, ripe pears, sliced Directions For nutmeg crust, position rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In medium bowl combine butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. salt, and nutmeg. Add flour; mix just until well blended. If dough is too soft, let stand a few minutes to firm up. Evenly press dough on bottom and sides of a 9- to 9-1/2-inch square or round tart pan in a thin layer. (This takes patience, as there is just enough dough.) Refrigerate 30 minutes to firm the dough. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is a deep golden brown, checking after 15 minutes. If dough has puffed from bottom of pan, prick a few times and gently press down with back of a fork. Cool in pan on wire rack. For vanilla filling, in heavy medium saucepan whisk 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and 1/8 tsp. salt to blend. Add 3 Tbsp. half-and-half and whisk to form a smooth paste. Whisk in remaining half-and-half. Using a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon, stir constantly over medium heat, scraping bottom, sides, and corners of pan until filling thickens and begins to bubble. Cook and stir 1 minute more to fully cook cornstarch. Stir in the 2 tsp. vanilla extract. Immediately pour into crust, leveling with spatula. Cool 1 hour, uncovered, at room temperature. Refrigerate in covered container to cool completely. Serve with Spiced Pears. Makes 12 servings. Spiced Pears In large saucepan combine white wine, Poire William (pear liqueur), sugar, and vanilla bean. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Stir in pears. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 5 to 8 minutes more or until pears are crisp-tender. Remove from heat; cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 227 Calories 11g Fat 25g Carbs 2g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 227 % Daily Value * Total Fat 11g 14% Saturated Fat 7g 35% Cholesterol 33mg 11% Sodium 91mg 4% Total Carbohydrate 25g 9% Total Sugars 12g Protein 2g Vitamin C 1.2mg 6% Calcium 50.5mg 4% Iron 0.5mg 3% Potassium 99mg 2% Folate, total 20.2mcg Vitamin B-12 0.1mcg Vitamin B-6 0mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.