Pear Frangipane Tart Recipe

Ingredients

• 600 ml boiling water
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 1 lemon, rind and juice
• 1 vanilla bean, cut in half and beans scraped out (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or paste)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 knob fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1 star anis
• 3 pears
• 220 g plain flour (all-purpose)
• 40 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 110 g unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
• 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
• 15-30 ml water (ice cold)
• 115 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 100 g ground almonds
• 65 g plain flour (all-purpose)
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 2 tbsp almond flakes (lightly toasted)
• 2 tbsp apricot jam (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Poach the pears ---

2. 2

   Bring poaching liquid to a boil. Add the water, sugar, lemon rind and juice, vanilla bean and caviar, cinnamon sticks, ginger and star anis to a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

3. 3

   Prepare pears and poach. Whilst the liquid is heating. Peel, half then core the pears. Add them to the poaching liquid immediately to prevent them turning brown. Simmer for 15-25 minutes until a knife inserted should pierce the pear easily. flip them over periodically to cook evenly. Remove pan from the heat and set it aside. Pears can cool completely in the poaching liquid.

4. 4

   --- Make the Sweet Short Crust Pastry ---

5. 5

   Rub the butter into the flour. Sift the dry ingredients, flour, icing sugar and salt into a large bowl. Add in the cubed butter and rub the butter and flour together between your fingers until it resembles a bread crumb consistency with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.

6. 6

   Add egg and water. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in your egg. Using a fork, mix the egg into the flour. Add 1 tablespoon (15ml) ice-cold water and use your hands to bring the dough together. Add more water sparingly if needed.

7. 7

   Bring dough together and refrigerate. Bring the dough together with floured hands and shape into a flattened disc being careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap well in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

8. 8

   Roll out dough. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a clean, lightly floured surface. Allow pastry to sit for about 10 minutes or so to soften ever so slightly. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a coin (⅛” thick) and into a 12in (30cm) circle.

9. 9

   Prepare dough in tart tin. Flour the base of a 10in (25cm) fluted tart tin. Fold the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to the prepared tin. Use your fingers to push the pastry onto the sides of the tin and into the grooves. Roll the rolling pin over the edges to trim off the excess dough. Refrigerate the prepared pastry shell for at least 1 hour to allow the pastry to relax further and butter to harden. (My preference is to leave the shell overnight in the fridge and continue with the recipe the next day. If you do this then cover well in plastic wrap to ensure that the pastry doesn’t dry out.)

10. 10

    Blind bake. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Once the pastry is chilled, prick the pastry base all over with a fork and then line with greaseproof paper and fill with pie weights or rice (or both) all the way up the sides. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove the greaseproof paper and pie weights. Brush the base of the pastry with some of the whisked eggs to be used in the frangipane filling. Return the pastry back to the oven and bake for a further 7-10 minutes or until the base is dry and a light golden colour. Remove from the oven and leave the tart base to cool fully.

11. 11

    --- Make the Frangipane and Assemble the Tart ---

12. 12

    Make frangipane filling whilst the tart base is cooling. In a medium bowl cream the butter and sugar using an electric hand-held mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy.

13. 13

    Add remaining ingredients. Add the whisked eggs and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the almond meal, flour, salt, and almond extract and mix until combined. Pour the frangipane filling into the tart shell and spread out evenly.

14. 14

    Slice pear and place on tart. Drain the pears on kitchen towel. Slice them crossways but leave them intact. Lift one pear at a time with an offset spatula and place on the filling with the stem end facing to the centre. Fan all the pears around the tart. Place the tart back in the oven and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40-45 minutes, until the frangipane filling has set and is golden brown.

15. 15

    To serve. Once baked, mix 1 tablespoon of boiling water into the apricot jam and brush mixture over the pears. Serve the tart warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or creme fraîche.