Easy, elegant desserts are my favorite. Mix a few ingredients together, add heat, and presto, something beautiful and delicious is born. Plus anything made in a tart pan has to be elegant, right?
Initially I intended this to become a holiday dessert slated for company, but when it came out of the oven, it smelled so good that Jon and I had it on a rainy afternoon with Earl Grey tea. He came home early from a blustery day working down at the boat and let me tell you, didn’t we feel decadent!
The classic combination of sweet, slightly tangy pears combines perfectly with the robust, nutty layers of almond flavors in this recipe. Apples and hazelnuts would also make good partners.
Pear Frangipane Tart
This recipe was inspired by one in the cookbook “Baking” by James Peterson.
Almond Frangipane:
1 cup whole almonds
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
pinch salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
In a food processor, grind the almonds to a fine mixture. Add the butter and sugar and pulse until smooth. Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time and then the dark rum.
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 puff pastry sheet or enough puff pastry to line an 11-inch tart pan
1 1/2 cups almond frangipane
4 1/2 pears peeled, halved and cored (the 1/2 a pear is a little off, I know. This is what worked for me, but if you’d rather squeeze the other half into the tart, go ahead.)
2 tablespoons melted salted butter
2 tablespoon sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Press the puff pastry into the bottom of the tart pan and up the sides. Spread the frangipane over the dough and then place the pear halves on top, arranging so that the wider part of the pear is toward the outside edge of the pan. Reserve the odd 1/2 pear and slice it into three wedges for the center.
Combine the melted butter and sugar and brush over the tops of the pears. Bake for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the pears have cooked through. Remove from oven to cool and then remove from pan and slice. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream flavored with almond extract and sugar.
Serves 12 to 16
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