Easy, elegant and delicious- this tart has all the great qualities needed for a dessert in my book. Rick said he’d be happy to receive this at the end of any great meal out- high praise indeed.

Frangipane Pear Tart

Pate Sucree (Sweet tart crust)

• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoons butter, cold
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• enough iced water to bring the dough together

Place the flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few times to combine them. Cut the butter into Tablespoon sized pieces and add to the flour and pulse until it resembles coarse sand with a few larger pieces. Mix the egg yolks and vanilla and pour through the feed tube whilst pulsing. Add just enough ice-cold water in the same manner to bring the dough together in a shaggy mass that begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Place some plastic wrap on the counter and turn the dough out onto it. Form into a disk and chill for at least an hour before proceeding.

Pear Almond Frangipane Filling

• three large pears cored, peeled, halved, sliced thinly crosswise and rubbed with lemon juice
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 5 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 egg plus one egg yolk
• 2/3 cup ground almonds
• 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 Tablespoons  Kirsch liqueur
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla infused granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Pear, Peach or Apricot jam, heated and strained

Roll out the pate sucree and line a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom with it. Trim the top evenly with the pan. Chill for a half of an hour before preparing the filling.

 

Preheat the oven to 350F. Cream the 1/3 cup sugar and butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the egg and egg yolk and blend well. Mix the ground almonds with the flour and add. Mix well. Add the Kirsch and almond extract and mix until blended. Spread in the chilled tart crust. Top with the pears. Lay the sliced pears in a spoke type arrangement trying to keep the shape of the pear half with the slim end towards the center and the bottoms towards the outer edges. Fill in the space with any stray pear bits. Sprinkle the pears with the 2 Tablespoons of vanilla sugar and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until puffed and golden. Rotate from bottom to top and front to back midway through baking.

Cool and glaze with the strained jam.

Enjoy!