Chocolate Brownie Pear Tart

      This recipe happened by accident, but sometimes the best ones do. One day I asked my dad to get peaches at the store just to snack on. Well, he came back with pears. I don't usually like to eat fresh pears because they generally seem like a less cool version of apples, but as I discovered with this delicious cheesecake, pears are actually pretty good when transformed into a dessert. The cheesecake is still my favorite, but this chocolaty creation is great too. It has a lot going on--a cookie crust, fruit, and a gooey brownie-like filling, but somehow it works really well.

INGREDIENTS: (for a 9inch tart pan)
Crust:
1 1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick of cold butter, cubed
4 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
2 pears, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour the tart pan.
2. Make the crust in a food processor or by hand. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until you get a pebbly consistency. It should stick together when you pinch it, but it will seem rather dry. Add the water in last.

3. Pour the loose crust mixture into the tart pan and form the crust by pressing it along the bottom and up the sides. No rolling needed for this one. Bake the crust by itself at 350 for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare the pear slices and place them in an even layer over the baked crust.

5. You can make the filling either on the stove or in the microwave. Melt the butter with the chocolate chips, let it cool, then beat in the sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg.
6. Pour the filling evenly over the pears.

7. Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is set. The middle will stay gooey because of the fruit. Chill and serve.

It's like a pie and a brownie, but it has fruit in it so it's good for you. Right?