This delicious tart is perfect for fall or winter.
•1 tart shell (recipe below)
•Frangipan almond filling (recipe below)
•3-4 pears - Bartlett, Bosc, Anjou, Starkrimson all work well. You want them ripe but not mushy
Tart shell (Pate Brisee)
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
1/2 c cold, unsalted butter, cut in to 1" chunks
2-3 tbs ice water
Put the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand (about 15 seconds.)
Pour 2 tablespoons water through the opening and mix until the mixture will hold together when pinched (you may need to add the remaining water.) Remove the dough and work it into a ball. Pat it down into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour.
After an hour, unwrap the dough, let it soften a few minutes, and roll it out on a floured surface until it's 1/8" thick. The best way to transfer it to your tart pan (this will fit a 8" - 10" pan) is to roll the dough around your rolling pin and then unroll it over the tart pan. Use your fingers and push the corners in and trim the edges by rolling the rolling pin over the top.
Prick the bottom a dozen or so times with a fork and then chill the whole thing for 5 min in the freezer. Instead of using pie weights, I use a double layer of aluminum foil slightly larger than the tart pan and when the dough is chilled from the freezer, I cover the dough with the foil and push it in to the sides to keep them from sagging as the tart crust bakes.
Bake it for ten minutes at 350 F and then remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until pale gold in color.
Frangipane
If you like a string almond flavor (like marzipan), use almond extract. If you don’t want the strong almond flavor, use vanilla extract.
1/2 c almond four (found in the baking section at most markets)
1/4 c sugar
1 Tbs flour
3 Tbs room temperature unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
To assemble tart:
Spread frangipan to edges of tart shell.
Slice pears thinly (no need to peel) and fan out decoratively. Gently press into frangipan.
Bake tart for 30-40 minutes at 375 until golden.
Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.
I like to serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
If you’re making a free form tart (no tart pan), also called a crostata (Italian) or galette (French):
Roll out tart dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper until it's 1/8" thick. Transfer dough and parchment to a sheet pan.
Spread frangipan over dough, leaving 1” border. Arrange sliced pears over frangipan. Gently fold the pastry inwards, over the fruit, pleating if necessary to hold it in (it can be messy).
Brush pastry generously with a beaten egg. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over everything.
Bake for aprox. 50-60 minutes or until crust is deep golden. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Comments