Pear Tart

Hi BBC2 here. BBC1 doesn’t like the taste of almonds, I tell you this because it does have a bearing on what I can bake. For instance, last Christmas I baked my first Christmas cakes because we went to visit friends and family who like the taste of marzipan that goes with Christmas cake! Anyway the point is that I had some pears in the fruit bowl you know some are rock hard and then some who have waited until you turn your back and go brown and mushy ready to throw away, well I had such pairs and after throwing away a few I thought I’d look for a way I could use the rest before they had the same fate. I found a few recipes where other nuts had been substituted for almonds in frangipane such as walnuts, so I played with it and it works! BBC1 tells me he likes it, see what you think.

Ingredients:

Frangipane filling:
150g/ 5oz walnuts
175g/ 6oz caster sugar
75g/ 3oz self raising flour
3 to 4 pears depending on size
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract

Pastry:
250g/ 8oz plan flour
150g/ 5oz cold butter cut into cubes
Tablespoon caster sugar
1 egg

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c Fan and you will need a 25cm loose bottom flan tin​

To make the pastry put the flour and caster sugar in a food processor and pulse for a second or two then add the butter pulse again until you have fine breadcrumbs and with the processor running add the beaten egg the mixture should come together in a ball, roll it out on a well floured surface to fit the tin, using the rolling pin to support the pastry as it may tear, but don’t worry because you will be using all the pastry so you can easily repair any rips or cracks by pushing the pastry together, it is easy to mould so work it into the corners and the sides you will start to have an overhang so try to build up the side evenly around the tin so that it come above the top by about 3mm and increasing the depth of the tart, you will need to blind bake it now, I scrunch a pace of greaseproof paper to line the inside and fill with baking beans pop into the oven for 25 minutes then take it out and remove the beans and greaseproof paper and return to the oven for another 5 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 160c Fan then take pastry case out of the oven and allow it to cool.

For the frangipane filling put the walnuts in the food processor and pulse until the nuts are roughly chopped and remove about ¼ of them to decorate the top, finely chop the rest of the nuts and put them to one side for a moment now put the butter, and sugar in the processor and pulse until combined and then add one of the eggs and pulse, then the self raising flour and pulse, now add the last eggs, vanilla extract and the finely chopped walnuts and pulse until combined. When the flan case is cool (it needs to be otherwise the butter will start to melt) spread the walnut mixture over the bottom of the pastry case, now peel the pears and cut them lengthways remove the core and stalk and now cut them into thick slices and press them gently into the frangipane so the pairs are evenly distributed and sprinkle over the remaining walnut bits over the pairs and frangipane, put the tart back in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until the pairs are cooked and the frangipane has risen and is golden brown, allow to cool and set before you remove from the tin as the pastry may crumble.

Hey lovely readers BBC1 here, as I have said elsewhere on this blog I am more savoury than sweet. However, I must say this tart has taken me by storm! So much so that I find myself raiding the fridge late at night just to have another slice! It’s deliciously moist and full of pear but the crumbly pastry and the walnut topping give it a nice texture and bite. BBC2 will definitely be making this one again! I did manage to save a slice for our mate Lizzie, but I wasn’t too good today and had to lay down shortly after she arrived😥. Oh well next time, sorry Lizzie, love ya xxx