By November, everything in Maine slows down except the people. The air turns sharp, the markets thin out and daylight shrinks to a few usable hours. But our pace doesn’t match the season. We still expect everything instantly: answers, deliveries, notifications, results.
Cooking doesn’t work like that. That’s probably why I like it. The kitchen still runs on a delay. Nothing about it rewards impatience. You preheat, you wait, you let ingredients do what they need to do. A pear won’t ripen because you want dessert tonight. It’ll be ready when it’s ready.
My chocolate almond pear tart is built around that idea. The pears have to soften naturally. The chocolate has to melt before it mixes. The crust needs time in the freezer to hold its shape. It’s not a hard recipe, but it doesn’t allow shortcuts. Each step demands attention: hands-on time, followed by waiting.
That’s pretty much the opposite of how we get satisfaction now. Online, it’s all quick cycles: post something, get a reaction, move on. The reward is fast, but it disappears just as quickly. Cooking, especially baking, rewires us. You put in the time, stay focused, and only at the end do you see (and taste) if it worked. The dopamine hit isn’t in the refresh; it’s in the reveal.
Maine’s late-autumn produce fits that mindset. The last pears and apples at the farm stands carry that cool smell, like they’ve been waiting too. Food used to depend on patience, on letting things reach their moment instead of forcing them there. Cooking with what’s left in the fall means accepting that you can’t rush flavor or texture. The ingredient decides when it’s ready.
That’s what I love about baking: It gives back a sense of proportion. You do the work, you wait, and the result reflects the effort. If you burn it, you start over. If you take your time, it pays off. There’s no algorithm or shortcut, just the process.
When the tart comes out of the oven, the chocolate has set, the pears have softened into the filling, and it carries that quiet satisfaction of time spent well.
Cooking during the fall feels like a reset. Outside, everything speeds toward the holidays. Inside, the oven hums, the kitchen smells like warmth and sugar, and the work slows down to match the season: steady, deliberate, and rewarding — but only if you’re patient.
Chocolate pear tart
Crust ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg yolk
Chocolate almond filling ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
- 2 Bosc pears, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
Topping:
- Powdered sugar
Crust directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put flour, sugar and salt in a food processor, then pulse to blend. Add the butter pieces and blend until they are the size of peas. Add the yolk and blend. Turn it out onto the counter and knead it into a compact ball, then flatten it into a disk. Roll it into an 11-inch circle between layers of parchment paper. Fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, trimming the excess. Leave the crust in the tart pan and keep it in the freezer while making the filling.
Filling directions:
In a stand mixer or bowl with an electric whisk, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, almond flour and almond extract, then mix to combine. Stir in melted chocolate. Pour the mixture into the tart pan and smooth out the top. Set aside in the fridge while preparing the pears.
Peel and thinly slice the pears. Scoop out the core to discard. Fan out the pear slices and arrange them on the chocolate filling.
Finally, bake the tart for 45-55 minutes, until it is firm and the pastry top is golden brown. Allow to cool. Dust with powdered sugar to serve. The tart filling will be slightly gooey; if you prefer a firm filling, chill before serving. Enjoy!
