If needed, prepare the compote: Peel and core 3 pears and roughly chop the fruit. Place in a sauce pan with 1/4 cup water, cover and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Once soft, use a potato masher or immersion blender to mash the fruit. Add brown sugar (honey or maple syrup are alternatives), salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground allspice. Raise heat to medium and simmer until the compote thickens, stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the crust: combine butter, flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add 1 tablespoon icy cold water at a time, pulsing between additions, until a crumbly crust forms. Tip: If you add a little too much water, you can always add a bit more flour. The consistency should be that of crumbly sand or fluffy snow. It should not be like clay or wet snow. Then press the dough into the tart pan with your fingers, working quickly and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the tart: Preheat your oven to 375 F. Prick the tart crust with a fork, and spread 1 cup of pear butter or compote evenly over the crust. Peel and core the pears, thinly slice, and place evenly over the jam. Decorate however you’d like with the fruit. Sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional) and bake for 30 minutes, or until the jam is bubbly, and the fruit begins to caramelize.

Prepare the candied walnuts: While the tart bakes, toast roughly chopped walnuts with maple syrup in a frying pan until just toasted. Do not burn. Reserve until ready to serve.

Once the tart is baked, sprinkle with the candied walnuts, and enjoy!