Photo of Spiced pear and pomegranate tart by WW

Spiced pear and pomegranate tart

3
Points®
Total Time
1 hr 5 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
25 min
Serves
8
Difficulty
Easy
Warm and tender pears, lightly spiced and glazed, are a wonderful base for this eye-catching tart. Chinese five spice powder, with its hints of star anise, adds warmth and great flavor while beautiful ruby-colored pomegranate seeds add great color contrast and a hint of tartness. Phyllo dough makes a crispy crust with a hint of sugary sweetness. It is simple to work with and presents as a rustic tart, hiding imperfections so much better than traditional crusts. Add the pears to the lemon juice mixture as you slice, to keep them bright and fresh. The touch of cornstarch in the spice blend allow the juices from the baking pears to form a thickened sauce, keeping the crust from getting soggy. Swap out your standard holiday dessert with this stunner to enjoy to resounding oohs and ahhs.

Ingredients

Sugar

4 tsp, divided

Table salt

1 pinch(es), divided

Cornstarch

2 tsp

Five-spice powder

tsp

Fresh lemon juice

2 tsp

Vanilla extract

1 tsp

Pear

2 pound(s), firm-ripe, Anjou (about 4)

Phyllo dough

8 sheet(s), thawed (13- X 18-in each)

Cooking spray

8 spray(s)

Apricot preserves

1 Tbsp, mixed with ½ tsp water to soften preserves

Pomegranate seeds

¼ cup(s)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (a half sheet pan is great if you have one).
  2. Combine 2 tsp sugar and a pinch salt in a small bowl; set aside.
  3. Combine remaining 2 tsp sugar, cornstarch, five spice powder and remaining pinch salt in a separate small bowl; set aside.
  4. Combine lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Peel and core pears; thinly slice. Add pears to lemon juice mixture; toss gently. Sprinkle with spiced sugar mixture; toss again.
  5. Unroll phyllo onto a clean work surface; keep covered with a sheet of wax paper topped with a damp kitchen towel. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on prepared pan; lightly coat with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp reserved sugar mixture. Top with a second phyllo sheet; repeat steps until you’ve made 8 layers.
  6. Spoon pears onto phyllo, leaving a 1-inch border and leaving behind some of the juices (to prevent tart from being overly wet). Turn phyllo edges up, sealing corners with a few drops of water. Transfer pan to oven; bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F; continue baking until pears are tender and phyllo is golden and crisp, 15 minutes more.
  7. Brush softened preserves over pears; sprinkle tart with pomegranate seeds. Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into 8 slices and serving.
  8. Serving size: 1/8th of tart