Typically I like to share recipes on these posts that provide great results with minimal time and effort, as I believe that food preparation should be enjoyable and not take up a great deal of one’s time. This week’s feature…… er, not so much. Impressive? Delicious? Beautiful to look at? Absolutely! But this Pear & Almond Tart requires a good deal of time to prepare. So, if I have not scared you away yet and you are willing to invest a few hours, why not give this dish a try? It’s extra deadly topped up with a nice dollop of Orange Whipped Cream.
Pear and Almond Tart
(need 1 x 9” diameter tart pan with removable bottom)
Pears:
4 cups water
1 1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 medium-size firm but ripe Bosc pears, peeled
Bring 4 cups water, sugar, and lemon juice to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pears. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until pears are very tender, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool pears in syrup. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Crust:
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c blanched slivered almonds
1/4 tsp salt
½ c + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
ice water
Blend powdered sugar, almonds, and salt in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter and blend until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Mix in egg yolk. Add flour. Using on/off turns, blend. Next drizzle in ice water, a little at a time until dough comes together in clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Roll out chilled dough on floured countertop, about 12” across. Place pastry in a 9” diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Seal any cracks in dough. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang in, making double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork. Freeze crust 10 minutes. Bake crust until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly wrap outer edges of the tart with strips of tin foil, to avoid burning. Return crust to oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Cool crust in pan on rack.
Almond Filling:
2/3 c blanched slivered almonds
1 tbsp all purpose flour
7 tbsp sugar
1/3 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
Finely grind almonds and flour in processor. Mix in 7 tablespoons sugar, then butter, blending until smooth. Mix in egg. Transfer filling to medium bowl. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350*. Spread almond filling evenly in crust. Stem pears and cut each in half lengthwise; scoop out cores. Cut each half crosswise into thin slices. Gently press each pear half to fan slices but keep slices tightly overlapped. Slide spatula under pears and arrange atop filling like spokes of wheel with narrow ends in center. Return strips of tin foil to the outer edges of the tart, again to avoid burning. Bake tart until golden and toothpick inserted into center of filling comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool tart in pan on rack. Push pan bottom up, releasing tart from pan. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) If you like, top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, especially the one described below.
Fresh Orange Whipped Cream:
2 c whipping cream
zest of 2 oranges
Put the zest into a small bowl with the whipping cream. Beat the cream until it reaches a nice thick consistency. Store in a sealed container in the fridge until needed. (This part of the recipe can be done hours ahead)
