PEAR FRANGIPANE TART

This is a french recipe I adapted from Barbara Adams website called Beyond Wonderful. I used to buy this kind of dessert at pastries store but now I can bake fresh from my oven myself.

Last week, my sister gave me a bunch of pears from her house and I decided to make some pear tart to share. The tart came out to be the yummiest tart I ever had with the creamiest of the almond cream and the fruitiness of the poached pears. Let me share this recipe with all my dearest blogger friends and Happy Baking!!!

You need to poached the pears 1 day ahead (for method on how to poached pears, please go to this link) or you can buy it from a jar at grocery store.

INGREDIENTS :

For Pate Sablee Tart:

2 cups all-purpose flour
8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Direction :

1. Pulse flour, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor just to combine, about 20 seconds.

2. Add egg and vanilla and pulse until the mixing just begins to hold together.

3. Dust hand with flour and evenly press the dough along the bottom and sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom.

Note: The crust should be approximately 1/4-inch thick

4. Prick the bottom of the shell several times with a fork, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer to keep it cold while you preparing the filling.



For The Frangipane /Almond Cream:

6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1 large egg
2 tsp dark rum or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions :

1. Put the butter and sugar in the food processor or if you prefer, you can make the cream in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a bowl with a rubber spatula and process until the mixture is smooth and satiny. Add the ground almonds and continue to process until well blended.

2. Add in the flour and cornstarch, process, and then add the egg. Process for about 15 seconds more, or until the almond cream is homogeneous. Add the rum or vanilla and process just to blend.

3. Scrape the almond cream into a container and either use it immediately or refrigerate it until firm, about 2 hours.

4. Spread the frangipane /almond cream mixture evenly across the chilled tart shell.

5. Cut each poached pears in half and then cut each half in a fan. Use a spatula to lift the cut pears onto the tart, placing evenly at four points on top of the frangipane.


6. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the frangipane is puffed and golden brown and brush it with some apricot jam.

7. Cool on the metal rack and serve with some powdered sugar (optional).