Poached Pear Galette With Mascarpone

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 bottle white wine
2 large beets, quartered
4 bartlett pears, peeled
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons sugar
16 oz tub mascarpone
1/4 cup powdered sugar

special equipment: 8x8 removable bottom tart pan, pie weights

Yield: Serves 12

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place beets and pears in a pot just large enough to allow them to lay in a single layer. Add allspice, sugar and wine and simmer uncovered over low heat until easily pierced with a paring knife, about 60 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, roll out puff pastry into a 9x9 square and place in tart pan, gently pressing the dough into the sides of the pan. Trim excess dough from the sides of the pan and pierce with a fork to prevent rising.
4. Place the dough in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and weight the dough and bake it for 20 minutes. Remove weights and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Set the tart shell aside to cool, and combine the mascarpone and powdered sugar in a small bowl.
6. When the pears are tender, remove them from the cooking liquid to cool. Discard beets and boil the cooking liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to a half cup.
7. Once the pears cool, cut them in half lengthwise and core them with a small measuring spoon. Slice pears lengthwise 1/8-inch thick, keeping the slices in neat stacks.
8. Once the tart shell is completely cooled, fill it with the mascarpone mixture, making a level base for the pears. Fan the sliced pears out over the mascarpone, trying to space them as evenly as possible.
9. Finally, brush the cooled wine reduction over tart and serve at room temperature or cooled.