Pear Ginger Tart

      When I wrote this on the menu I was excited about a pear ginger tart.   It sounded so delicious, but it wasn't something I had made before, and I didn't really have a recipe or a plan for it.  It's kind of why I saved it for last.  I originally wanted to do something with crystallized ginger, but I couldn't figure out how to do it and still make it look nice.  After some thought I decided on a rustic tart with Anjou pears, fresh ginger, cardamom and brandy. 
      I made the dough by hand, it lends to that more rustic look- Mix
1 1/2 cup pastry flour (an ap flour that has a low gluten content like lilly white works well too- or mix 3/4 cup ap and 3/4 cup cake flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
then cut in with a pastry cutter or two knives
1 stick butter, cold and thinly sliced 
 once it is mostly broken apart go ahead and get your hands dirty and press the butter through the flour with your fingers.  It will begin to look like coarse corn meal.  Then slowly drizzle in
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water  while gently tossing the dough so that it begins to stick onto itself.  You will have enough water when the dough is mostly brought together with a few pieces of flour detached.  Press the dough together into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least an hour.  While this is chilling prepare your pears
3 large anjou (or other firm fleshed) pears- peeled, quartered, cored and each piece cut into 4 long wedges toss them in
2 TBS brandy  In a separate bowl mix
1 cup sugar
1 TBS corn starch
1 tsp fresh ginger, microplaned
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
add to the pear mixture and toss until everything is coated.  Then let stand for 30 minutes, while your dough is finishing chilling.  Once the dough is ready roll it out, trying to keep it as much of a circle as possible.  Make it about 15 inches round. 
      Move the tart onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Take a plate or a pot lid, anything round that you can use to measure out the size you want the tart to be and press it into the bottom so you can see where to line up your pears.
 If you want to be lazy just dump the pears and liquid into the middle and spread out to the marked edges, or you can take the time to arrange them and lay them out around the edges based on the guide.  Next gently go around a fold the edges over the top of the pears. 

       Brush the crust with some egg wash (a beaten egg mixed with 1 TBS water) and then sprinkle with some sugar (if you have sugar in the raw use it, it will make for a very pretty crust).  Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes until the pears are bubbly and the crust is a beautiful golden brown.  Let it cool completely so that the sauce can set, then reheat for service.