PEAR FRANGIPANE TART

We love Frangipane Tarts in our household. so I always try and take advantage of seasonal produce and make variations of this tart.
Many of you will notice that I have used the same sweet pastry as the one I recently used in the Rhubarb Tart.

PEAR FRANGIPANE TART

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Pastry

80g icing sugar
125g plain flour
75g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
2 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds only

Poached Pears

750ml white wine
250g honey
250g caster sugar
2 bay leaves
5 star anise
10 peppercorns
500ml water
4 corella pears, peeled

Frangipane

50g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
50g ground almonds
15ml rum
1 egg yolk

METHOD

Pastry

Sift icing sugar and flour into bowl of food processor.
Add butter and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add egg yolks and vanilla bean seeds.
Blend until the dough just comes together.
Remove from processor, wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Roll out pastry on a cold, floured surface until about 3 mm in thickness.
Line tart tin trimming excess and refrigerate pastry for 30 mins before baking.
Preheat oven to 160C.
Blind bake tart shell until crisp and pale golden. (Should take about 10-12 mins for small tart tins).

Poached Pears

Combine wine, water, honey, sugar, bay leaves, star anise and peppercorns in a saucepan large enough to ensure pears are submerged.
Heat to just before simmering.
Meanwhile, peel pears. If poaching liquid is not ready, place pears in acidulated water to prevent browning.
Prepare a cartouche.
Add pears to poaching liquid and top with a cartouche ensuring pears are totally submerged at all times.
Poach for 20-30 minsutes until pears are tender but not falling off the stem.
(Keep in mind that once removed from heat, the pears will continue cooking if kept in the poaching liquid.)
Remove pears from poaching liquid – reserving liquid.
Using a melon baller, scoop out the base of the pear and remove the seeds.
Using a small knife, cut vertical cuts all around the pear.
Using a little downwards pressure, twistthe pears so the bottom edges fan out.
Bring poaching liquid to a gentle simmer and reduce until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Frangipane

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and make sure it is well incorporated into the mix.
Fold in almond meal and rum.

To Assemble

Place a little frangipane mixture into the prepared tart shell/s.
Place a pear on each tart. Bake for 20 minutes.
Brush finished tarts with reduced poaching liquid and serve.