CRUST:

1 1/4 cups flour
1 stick sweet butter, chilled, cut in 6 pieces
3 tbsp. heavy cream
3 tbsp. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

FILLING:

3 lg. pears or peaches, peeled and cored, cut crosswise in slices, but don't cut all the way through
3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom. For crust, combine flour, butter, cream and 1 tablespoon brown sugar, ginger and nutmeg; mix until like coarse meal. (Use food processor if you have one.)

Transfer 1/2 cup of mix to small bowl. Blend in other 2 tablespoons sugar. Press remainder into bottom and sides of tart pan. Bake 20 minutes. Remove.

Reduce temperature to 350°F. For filling, combine sugar, cream, flour, yolks, juice and vanilla. Pour mix into crust. Arrange pears on top and sprinkle with crumb mix.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.