Pear & almond tart.
Pears poached gently in vanilla syrup, sunk into a frangipane that puffs around them in the oven. A Sunday tart that ages well — the kind cut into small wedges and offered with espresso long after lunch.
ingredients.
8 servings
- 1 blind-baked sweet shortcrust 23 cm tart shell
- 3 ripe pears
- 500 ml water
- 150 g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod split
- 120 g unsalted butter soft
- 120 g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 140 g ground almonds
- 20 g plain flour
- 1 tbsp rum or amaretto optional
- 20 g flaked almonds to finish
method.
- 01
Poach the peeled, halved pears in the water, sugar, and vanilla until just-tender — 12 minutes. Cool in the syrup.
- 02
Beat the butter and sugar pale; add the eggs one at a time. Fold in the almonds, flour, and rum.
- 03
Spread the frangipane into the shell. Slice each pear half across into thin fans without cutting through; lay them in like the spokes of a wheel.
- 04
Scatter the flaked almonds; bake at 170°C fan for 35–40 minutes until the frangipane is set and the pears burnished.
- 05
Cool on a rack. Eat warm or cool, with cream that's been barely whipped.