This pear and almond tart is elegant in both flavour and presentation — the kind of dessert that feels at home at a dinner party or a quiet winter afternoon tea. Frangipane (almond cream) creates a soft, nutty base beneath the poached pear slices, and the result is golden, delicate and utterly refined.
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet shortcrust pastry
- 3 ripe pears, peeled, halved and cored
- ½ cup caster sugar (for poaching)
- 2 cups water
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 125g caster sugar (for filling)
- 2 eggs
- 125g almond meal
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Icing sugar, to serve
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Line a tart tin with the pastry, trim edges, and chill for 15 minutes. Blind bake for 10–15 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- While the base bakes, place pears, water, and ½ cup sugar in a saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes until pears are just tender. Remove and cool.
- For the filling, beat butter and sugar until pale. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in almond meal, flour, and vanilla.
- Spread frangipane filling evenly over the pastry base. Slice pears thinly and fan over the top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes or until golden and set.
- Cool before dusting with icing sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
