Pear Almond Tart
★★★★☆
Ingredients
- 2⅓ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (90g) confectioners' sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (200g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons water, more if needed
- 4 poached Bosc or Bartlett pears
- 1 cup almond cream (frangipane)
- 1 cup toasted almonds, crushed
- 1 tablespoon sugar for dusting
Instructions
- 1. Mix the flour, sugar and salt together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour and you can no longer see pieces. The flour will still be powdery. Pulse in the zest. Add the yolk and water, mix until the dough comes together. Pour it onto the counter and knead until it is a smooth ball. Wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour. Can be made 2 days in advance or frozen for up to a month.
- 2. Roll out the tart dough to fit a 9-inch tart pan and blind bake until golden brown.
- 3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 4. Fill the baked shell with almond cream. Slice the poached pears in half (leaving the stem on), make thin slices of pears, leaving them together, so you can still see their form. Place them over the almond cream. Sprinkle the toasted almonds around the edge, dust the whole tart with the sugar and bake until the almond cream is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes, depending on if your frangipane was cold or freshly made.
The author recommends using 4 pears instead of 3 for better coverage. The tart dough can be made 2 days in advance or frozen for up to a month. Baking time varies depending on whether the frangipane is cold or freshly made. This is described as an elegant but simple holiday dessert.
Wine Pairing: Dessert Wine