← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 175 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 85 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 115 g unsalted butter, soft
• 115 g caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 115 g Ground almonds
• 30 g plain flour
• ¼ tsp Almond extract (optional)
• 3 ripe but firm pears (or 6 tinned pear halves, drained), peeled, halved and cored
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds
• 2 tbsp apricot jam, to glaze

Method

1. Rub the flour and butter together until like breadcrumbs, stir in the sugar, then add the yolk and water and bring together into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 min.
2. Roll out and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin, then chill while you heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F). Line with baking paper and beans and bake for 15 min, then remove the paper and beans and bake for 5 min more until dry. Turn the oven down to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F).
3. For the frangipane, beat the butter and sugar until pale, beat in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the ground almonds, flour and almond extract.
4. Spread the frangipane evenly in the pastry case.
5. Slice each pear half thinly across, keeping the slices together, then press gently so they fan out. Lift each fan onto the frangipane with a palette knife, arranging them like spokes, and scatter the flaked almonds between them.
6. Bake for 35–40 min, until the frangipane is puffed, golden and firm to the touch in the centre.
7. Warm the jam with a splash of water, brush it over the pears and leave the tart to cool in the tin for 20 min before serving warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Contains almonds in three forms; not suitable for nut allergies.
• Pears that are too ripe go mushy; they should give only slightly at the stem.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Food King Arthur Baking BBC Food