Pear Frangipane Tart
I’ve not always liked a frangipane tart, mostly because some of the bought tarts I’ve tasted have filled my mouth an artificial almond flavour.
Not this tart!
With the ground almonds, soft sweet pears, buttery crumbly pastry and the added lemon zest, this Pear Frangipane Tart tastes deliciously indulgent and fresh.
If, like me, you’re a make ahead kind of person, preferring to spend as much time around the dinner table chatting (the lovely Mr G would say chatting a little too much ), then it’s a perfect pudding to get together the day before, either cooking it to eat cold or, get it all ready to bake on the day to eat warm.
And freezing, well that’s a great thing to do with this too.
If preparing ahead make it right up to just before baking, pop in the fridge and bake it as per the instructions. If freezing, freeze just before the baking stage and bake from frozen adding more time in the oven.
One thing I will say, when making the pastry, don’t rush it in the food processor.
Because no water is used in the recipe, the pastry relies on the butter to bring it together, and as the butter is being used from the fridge (cold) it takes a while to come together.
Be patient!
If making the pastry by hand, use a blunt knife or a pastry cutter, so handling the pastry as little as possible when making it.
Not just because the butter will melt, but also, over handling pastry will make it really dry and tough to eat.
This recipe will make 1 large tart 20cm or 6 plus smaller tarts.
As you can see by the photos, I’ve made both here so you can see how they look.
Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life!
Large or small, your choice.
What You Need
Pastry
250g Butter – Cold and cut into small cubes – Extra for tin preparation
350g Plain Flour – Extra for tin preparation
100g Castor Sugar
Filling
150g Butter – Room Temperature
150g Castor Sugar
3 Large Eggs
150g Ground Almonds
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Large Pears
How It’s Done
Pastry
Place the flour and sugar into the food processor and whizz for 30 seconds just to mix them together.
Slowly add the cold butter one piece at a time.
Once all the butter has been added, leave the food processor running until the pastry comes together into a soft dough – BE PATIENT – See Tip Box
Once the soft dough has come together, remove it from the food processor and quickly bring it together with your hands (so as not to over soften the butter) wrap in cling film and place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
If freezing the pastry for another time, this is the time to do it.
Fork holes in the base, and cover with foil or non-stick baking parchment for blind baking
Filling
Place the softened butter and sugar into a bowl and beat together until creamed – See Tip Box
Add the eggs and beat until light in colour and fluffy.
Add the ground almonds and the lemon zest, and beat until the almonds are fully mixed in – Don’t over mix – See Tip Box
Place the mixture into the fridge until needed
Don’t over mix the filling
Peel the pears and use a sharp knife to slice through the pears long ways, or if you prefer in the short direction. - Peeling the pears is optional, (I like the peel left on for the texture) and use a teaspoon to scoop out the hard core bits from the centre.
Set them aside until needed
Scoop out the core
Time to prepare 1 large loose bottomed tart tin or 6 small tins
Rub butter all over the inside of the tin making sure that the butter goes right into any crevasses.
Dust the inside of the tin with flour and tap out the excess.
Cut out a circle of non-stick baking parchment the same size as the inside bottom of the tin and place it in the tin.
Remove the pastry from the fridge, dust the work surface with a little bit of flour.
Use your hands to quickly work the pastry just until it becomes smooth - Don’t over work it
Roll out the pastry to just a little thicken than a £1 coin
Line the tin with the pastry leaving an overhang of approx. ½ inch
Use a fork to gently poke holes in the inside base of the pastry.
Place the tin back into the fridge for 10 minutes
Slice in any direction you want to
Heat the oven to 180c
Place an oven tray into the oven to heat
After 10 minutes, remove the tin from the fridge .
Cut out some non-stick baking parchment or foil approx. 3 inches bigger that the pastry and scrunch it up.
Un-scrunch it, and lay the paper on top pf the pastry, and pour in some baking beans or dried uncooked rice – See Tip Box
Place the tin into the oven on top of the pre-heated baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes – or until the pastry base has become firm.
Remove the tin from the oven, and remove the paper and baking beans.
Use a sharp knife to run cut off the excess pastry, making the edge of the tart neat
Place the oven tray back into the oven.
Fill the pastry case with the ground frangipane filling.
Lay the pears on top of the filling, spacing them apart – fan the slices out a little but try to keep them together.
Place the tart back in the oven on top of the tray
Bake the tart until the frangipane is dark golden, firm and spongy around the edge of the tart and a tooth pick comes out clear when poked into the centre of the tart – Approx. 30 minutes – See Tip Box
To Serve, run a sharp thin knife around the inside edge of the tin, remove the tart from the tin, remove the parchment from the bottom and place onto a serving plate. - Make sure the tart is completely cold before taking it out of the tin.
Place the pear in whichever pattern you prefer.
Tip Box
Creamed Together – Creaming together means to beat until the sugar and butter becomes light, airy and increased in volume. It should be pale in colour too
Over Mixing – Over mixing the filling will make the filling very dense.
Pastry – 1) Don’t Rush - Don’t rush it in the food processor.
Because no water is used in the recipe, the pastry relies on the butter to bring it together, and as the butter is being used from the fridge (cold) it takes a while to come together.
Be patient!
2) If the pastry breaks up when putting it into the tin, no problem, just patch it up. During cooking any patchwork will disappear during the baking process.
Blind Bake – If you don’t have baking beans, use dried rice instead
Baking – Ovens vary so adjust the cooking time accordingly
I like the skin left on my pear, i like to see little bits of cooked peel
