Cranberry Pear Shortbread Tart

For the prep:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325˚F (163˚C).
2. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper.

For the crust and crumble topping:

1. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon, stir vigorously until creamy.
2. Add vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
3. Add the all-purpose and almond flours and stir with a fork until flour is incorporated and large crumbles start to form.
4. Press one-half (approximately, no need to be exact) of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Refrigerate the remaining dough while the tart bakes and cools.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, until the crust is just beginning to firm.
6. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes while you're preparing the filling.

For the pear-cranberry filling:

1. While the bottom crust bakes, make the filling.
2. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt in a medium-large microwave-safe bowl. Stir to combine.
3. Add the diced pears and cranberries and stir again.
4. Microwave on high power for 2 minutes then remove and stir. Repeat this 2 minute microwaving and stirring two more times. The mixture should be thickened and jammy by this point. It’s it’s not, return to the microwave for 2 additional minutes then set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

To finish and bake:

1. Spread the warm filling over the crust, leaving a ½ inch border around the edge. Remove the reserved dough from the refrigerator. With your hand, sprinkle it in big crumbles over the filling, taking care to also fill in the edges that don’t have filling.
2. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until topping is firm, crisp and lightly golden in color, about 30-40 minutes.
3. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes then run a thin bladed knife around the eddges of the pan to loosen, if needed. Invert the tart onto a clean dinner plate the flip one more time onto the cooling rack or onto a serving platter so that the crumb topping is facing up.

To serve:

1. Serve warm or cool to room temperature Dust lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. Use a sharp knife to cut the tart into wedges. We like to serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen custard. This tart can be made a dau in advance. It can also be made and frozen after cooling. To serve after freezing, allow to thaw, then warm for 10-12 minutes in a 300˚ oven.