Old-Fashioned Pear Dessert

The final post in my pear entries, and definitely my favorite (although my sweet tooth may bias things a little) - dessert: old-fashioned pear dessert to be precise. Really it's a pear tart with a nice crumble on top. This dessert consists of a rich, buttery tart shell, piled high with fresh sliced pears, drizzled with a sweet, thick caramel sauce, and topped with a buttery, sugary crumble containing a few chopped, toasted nuts for added texture and flavor. I bet a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream would go lovely on a hot slice, but it isn't necessary. This tart is good cold as well, perhaps even for breakfast. We made a double recipe, which made three large tarts. Here is the step-by-step process:

1. 1. Make the tart shell crust and line three greased and floured tart pans. Parbake the crusts for about ten minutes.
2. 2. Meanwhile, peel and slice the pears and combine with a little cornstarch.
   
3. Make the caramel filling.
   
4. Make the crumble topping.
5. Divide the pears evenly among the hot crusts.
6. Drizzle with caramel sauce.
7. Top with crumble.
   
8. 8. Bake again until golden, hot, and bubbly. 
9. 9. Allow to cool for a few minutes to set up if you can stand it, then dive in!