Pear and almond frangipane tart, with apricot glaze
| March 3, 2010 | Posted by ameliaps under autumn, dessert, fall, frangipane, pear, sweets, tart, winter |
I had four gorgeous pears that were just ripe in my kitchen and a few guests coming for dinner over the week-end which made for the perfect chance to make a delicious tart. Pears and almonds are really good friends. So here is the result. It was also a beautiful one (someone might even doubt you made it at home!). Frangipane is a baked almond cream that envelops the fruit in a fluffy, nutty, buttery custard. Yes, heavenly.
You can use a food processor to make the dough but do not overwork it.
Depending on the season, you can adapt this recipe to many different fruits: apricots, plums, peaches, apples, cherries (when using cherries, use redcurrant jelly to glaze, instead of apricot jam).
Pear and almond frangipane tart, with apricot glaze
The recipe is from Patisserie (Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection)
Serves 8
3 – 4 ripe pears, peeled, cut into halves and sliced across, just before baking
Pastry ( pâte sucrée)
6 oz ( 175g ) all purpose flour
3 oz ( 85g )unsalted butter, soft
3 egg yolks
3 oz ( 85g )castor sugar
3-4 drops of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Sift the flour into your food processor. Add all the other ingredients. Turn on the machine and mix in short little bursts. Keep going until pastry forms a ball. Wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll out and put into a greased flan dish (with loose bottom is best), the pastry will be quiet delicate to use and break up, just press together again, it will not spoil the end result.
Return pastry to refrigerator again for 20 minutes. Bake blind for 7-8 minutes ( place greaseproof paper over the pastry and fill with beans or baking beans).
Remove the baking beans and paper, bake for another 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.
Frangipane
6 oz ( 175g )ground almonds
6 oz ( 175g )unsalted butter, soft
5 oz caster sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
2 drops of almond extract
Mix the butter and sugar until nice and creamy. Add the eggs, ground almonds, sifted flour and almond extract, stir it all together. Fill the pastry case with the frangipane not quiet full. Place the sliced pears evenly on top. Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 30 – 40 minutes.
When cool, remove from baking dish and brush the glaze over the top.
Glaze
Apricot jam
Lemon juice (I used lime)
Heat the jam gently on the stove until it melts. Add the lemon juice and mix in. Push through a sieve.
Brush the glaze all over the tart.
The morning after the dinner, there was one small slice left…and it was ohhhhh so delicious with my morning cup of tea!!!
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This tart looks amazing, I love the picture of the lone slice on the cake stand.
Absolutely gorgeous.
I love the final photos of the cake dome and kettle. How nice!
I want to eat this tart! Perhaps I'll be serving it tonight instead of my custard on which I was planning???
Keep rocking it, Amelia.
I love how busy you've been lately!
Dana @ http://www.onehauteplate.com