Seckel Pear Tart with Cardamom Blueberry Butter

Directions

For the tart:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Roll pastry dough out on floured board to about a 12 inch circle. Fit into an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, allowing pastry to overlap sides. Use a knife to cut away any pastry that overlaps the edge of the pan.
3. Spread mascarpone cheese over bottom of crust evenly.
4. Top with 2 cups Cardamom Blueberry Butter or other fruit butter.
5. Place pear halves cut-side down on blueberry butter.
6. Sprinkle pears with 1 teaspoon raw sugar. Bake about 30 minutes, or until blueberry butter is hot and bubbly, crust is a deep golden brown and tops of pears are starting to brown. Remove from oven. Let cool on a rack about 30 minutes to serve warm. This tart is also delicious served at room temperature.
7. Cut into wedges and sprinkle remaining raw sugar on top of each serving to add just a bit of crunch to each bite.

For the Cardamom Blueberry Butter:

1. Sterilize jars, lids and rings. Carefully lift jars out of the water and set aside on a clean, dry surface.

2. Puree blueberries in a food processor until smooth. (You may need to do this in batches.) Pour into a large stockpot along with sugar, cardamom, ginger and lemon juice and rind. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer about 1 hour or until the mixture is dark and smooth. Stir frequently.

3. Spoon blueberry mixture into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Carefully place the lids and rings over the jars, twisting until just firmly sealed.

4. Bring water bath back to a rolling boil and then using tongs, place jars into the water for 15 minutes. Remove jars from the bath and place on a dry, clean towel to cool for at least 24 hours. Enjoy those popping lids—that's a good sign!

5. Check the seals to ensure they've stuck 24 hours later. Makes 7 cups.