PASTRIES & VARIATION: This is a tart that has never failed to please. It takes a bit of practise to get it right, but you will be delighted with the efforts it takes to produce it..

PEAR AND ALMOND CREAM TART:

 

 

 

 

1 quantity of short-short sweet pastry--see posted basic recipe

filling:

    ¾ cup-packed ground almond                                

    6 tbsp. sugar

    5 oz butter, chilled                                      

    1 ½ egg yolk + 3 egg whites

    few drops of almond extract                                   

    3 firm pears

    lemon juice to brush pears

glaze:              

    1 tbsp brandy or cold water            

    3 tbsp peach jam, strained  

 

 

 

Roll pastry out, between 2 pieces of waxed paper, to roughly ¼-inch thickness. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest and firm up the dough slightly. Peel off the top piece of wax paper & flip the dough onto a 9-inch flan case with removable bottom. Peel off the other piece of wax paper. Fix & adjust the dough to cover the bottom & all around the flan case, with small amount of excess pastry dangling over the edges. Check edges to make sure the dough is of even thickness all around the circumference. Roll the rolling pin across the top of the flan case to cut off excess pastry. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before filling.                    

 

Peel pears, half and core them and brush them with lemon juice. If pears are too firm, place them in a microwavable container and microwave for 2 minutes on high power. Place each pear half, cut-side down, on the cutting board. Use a small paring knife, and starting from the narrow top end of one pear, slice thinly & evenly crossways all the way along the length of the pear to the bottom end. Repeat the cutting process with the other five pieces of pear-halves. Set aside.

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In food processor with steel blade attached, process ground almonds and sugar together for a few seconds. Add butter and process until creamy; then add egg yolks and egg white and almond extract. Pulse on/ off a few times to mix well. Pour the filling into the pastry case and spread it out evenly.

 

Slide a large flat pastry cutter under one pear half; and with the pear sitting securely on the cutter, press down gently to separate the cut pieces slightly while making sure that the  original pear shape is not disturbed. Make a mark in the filling to divide the tart into 6 equal portions. Carefully transfer each pear half to the filling to cover the marked lines, with the narrow top end facing the middle, and the larger bottom end next to the edge of the circle, therefore creating the pattern of "spokes in a wheel". 

 

Transfer tart carefully to hot oven. Bake tart for 50 to 55 minutes or until the filling is set & the pastry is well browned. Transfer tart to a wire rack.  Warm the brandy or water with the jam & mix well, straining off large bits. Brush mixture over the pears & filling to glaze while tart is hot. Serve warm.

 

 

 

 

VARIATION:  ALMOND CREAM TART:  Prepare as before but omit the pears.