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1
Make pear mixture: In a saucepan, combine cranberry juice, sugar, cinnamon stick and lemon juice.
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2
Bring to boil and add pears.
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3
Heat until it just comes to simmer and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, or until the pears are just tender.
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4
Remove from heat, stir in cranberries and let mixture cool.
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5
Chill, covered, for at least 8 hours.
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6
(may be made 2 days in advance) Crust: Blend together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt.
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7
Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
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8
In a small bowl, stir together egg yolk and the molasses.
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9
Add to flour mixture and mix until combined well but still crumbly.
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10
Turn out onto 10 inch tart pan with removable rim and press onto bottom and up sides of pan.
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11
Chill crust for 30 minutes.
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12
Preheat oven to 375u00b0F.
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13
Prick crust all over with fork, line with foil, fill with pie weights or dry beans, and bake in lower third of oven for 15 minutes.
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14
Remove foil and pie weights and bake crust a further 10 minutes.
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15
Let cool.
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16
Transfer poached pears and half the cranberries with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, discard cinnamon, and reserve syrup with remaining cranberries.
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17
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, sour cream, milk, vanilla, zest and a pinch of salt.
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18
Stir in the drained cranberries.
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19
Preheat oven to 325u00b0F.
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20
Spoon half of custard into the crust.
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21
Slice 4 of the pear halves crosswise on the diagonal, arrange decoratively over the custard alternately with the unsliced pear halves, and spoon remaining custard around pears.
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22
Bake tart in middle of oven for 50-55 minutes or until custard is just set.
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23
Remove rim of pan and let cool.
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24
(may be made up to 8 hours in advance, cooled completely and chilled) Boil reserved syrup until reduced to 1 cup and is jelly-like in consistency and transfer cranberries with slotted spoon to a plate to cool.
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25
Brush pears with some of cranberry glaze and arrange cranberries around edge of tart.
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26
Serve warm or chilled.
