Pear and Almond Tart

Today’s recipe takes a sweeter approach with a twist on a classic frangipane. As Autumn descends and the cooler weather is setting in across our region; allowing nature to take the reigns and provide for us a new array of fruits, vegetables and herbs to play and create with in the kitchen. As we switch from Summer to Autumn, food production has a tendency to slow as Mother Nature readjusts to the new season. You may notice a few things not present and not yet replaced in our boxes as we allow this change to take place naturally and work with nature to include the most nutritionally dense produce in your box. This week and for the coming weeks we will be including these delicious packham pears in our boxes. These are grown in Stanthorpe in the high country roughly 2.5 hours from Yamba. Stanthorpe is know for it’s cold climates, and produces some of the best apples, pears and grapes in Australia. It is the furthest farm we work with and we feel damn lucky to be able to bring these fruits to you weekly. Enough of that, let’s bake! 

INGREDIENTS 

215g (1 cup) coconut sugar

200g unsalted butter, at room temperature

200g (2 cups) almond meal

2 eggs

60ml (1/4 cup) amaretto liqueur

40g (1/4 cup) plain flour

2 ripe Packham pears, peeled, cored, thinly sliced

1/4 cup apricot jam, warmed

Pure icing sugar, to dust

Double cream, to serve

 

Pastry

225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour

150g unsalted butter, chilled, chopped

2 tbsp pure icing sugar

1 egg yolk

1tbsp chilled water

METHOD

Step 1
To make the pastry, process the flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water. Process until the dough just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until just smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to rest.

Step 2
Turn the pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out to a 3mm-thick disc. Line a round 28cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin, with removable base, with the pastry. Trim any excess. Prick the base with a fork. Place in freezer for 30 minutes to rest.

Step 3
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper. Fill with pastry weights or rice. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove paper and pastry weights or rice. Cook for a further 7 minutes or until golden.

Step 4
Reduce oven temperature to 160°C. Use an electric beater to beat the caster sugar, butter and almond meal in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 2 tablespoons of the amaretto. Add the flour and beat until just combined.

Step 5
Spoon almond mixture into pastry case and smooth the surface. Arrange pear on top, pressing into the almond mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Step 6
Combine the jam and remaining amaretto in a bowl. Brush the tart with the jam mixture. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with double cream.