Pear and frangipane tart

I absolutely ADORE all types of frangipane tarts but I had never attempted to make one until now. I knew pears worked very well with frangipane and I had a few organic ones  which needed using (funny things are pears: one minute they are too hard, the next too soft. I’ve thrown away MANY in my life! But not this time…) plus a group of Italian ladies about to descend on me to discuss our latest book (I belong to two groups: an English one and an Italian one. In both the making of the cake is as important, if not more important, than the discussion of the book. Draw your own conclusions. ha ha). The decision was made for me.  I did a bit of research on line for a suitable recipe and stumbled upon this one by the Michelin starred chef Angela Hartnett which sounded promising. Ok, I admit it’s not a “throw everything in and mix” type of cake. In fact it is a bit of a faff, particularly as you need to poach the pears beforehand AND you need to make that shortcrust, crumbly type of pastry that every woman in the right mind hates . Still, I was determined to go ahead (talk about bees in one’s bonnet). I poached the pears the previous night and made the rest the following day. I can honestly say it tasted DIVINE!  Ok, I’m blowing my own trumpet a little here BUT there is no point in being accused of false modesty, is there? All Italian ladies praised it to the sky and demanded I blogged it, so here it is. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry

  • 225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 110g butter
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 3 medium egg yolks, lightly beaten

For the frangipane

  • 125g butter, softened
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 125g ground almonds
  • 1 tbsp plain flour

For the poached pears

  • 250g caster sugar, plus 2 tsp extra
  • 4 good-sized pears (I used 6 smallish ones)
  • 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
  • 3 cloves
  • ½ lemon
  • 2-3 strips thickly pared orange zest
  • ½ vanilla pod

 METHOD

1. Put all ingredients for the pastry in a food processor and whizz until you obtain a smooth ball. You might need to add a few tablespoons of cold water. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least half an hour (Angela Hartnett instructs women to do it by hand on a floured surface but , hey, life it’s too short, right?)

2. Make the frangipane filling. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs , one at a time, then fold in the ground almonds and flour. Mix well.

3. Make the poached pears (I did this the night before).Put the sugar in a saucepan, pour in 500ml water and place over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Peel the pears and add to the pan, along with the cinnamon and cloves. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the pan and add the squeezed lemon and orange zest. Split the vanilla pod in half, scrape out the seeds and add to the pan with the pod. Add some more water to just cover the pears.

4. Simmer for 20 minutes, then remove the pears to a plate. Set aside for 15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. (Angel Hartnett’s tip: Don’t overcook the pears – a knife should just pierce them easily. Remember – they will continue to cook in the oven.)

5. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a circle large enough to line the tart tin. Don’t worry if it breaks up, as this is a very short, crumbly pastry – you can just patch it together in the tin and mould it up the sides, making sure it is even all over (p.s. I can confirm it was a right bugger to make! I did indeed patch it up but it worked in the end!). Trim off any excess pastry and spread the frangipane evenly on top.

6. Cut the pears in half lengthways and, using a teaspoon, scoop out and discard the core from the centre. Cut each pear half in slices, widthways, then lift onto your knife and push down on the pears slightly to fan them out. Lift into the pastry case and arrange in a circle. Fill in the gaps between each pear half with a few more slices and arrange some in the centre. Bake for approx. 50 minutes-1 hour, until the pastry is golden and the filling is set. Cool in the tin slightly, then remove and transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of crème fraîche or cream.

 

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5 Responses to “Pear and frangipane tart”


  • Cosa ci fanno le api nella cuffia? E cosa vuol dire frangipane?
    Any clue??? Torta da provare, anche se oggi, di ritorno dalla meravigliosa Sicilia (Carmelita! aiuto ma come si fa a rimanere in linea nella tua terra?), tutta la famiglia ha giurato di mettersi a dieta, scaldata solo dal ricordo di cannoli, pistacchi, olive, olio, cassatine, caponate, ricotta, salsiccia al finocchietto, grassamagra alla piastra eccetera eccetera…

  • Che fortuna! Bellissima la Sicilia,eh? Magari l’anno prossimo ci andiamo per il nostro incontro annuale. Che dici? Anch’io non mi capacito di come la popolazione non sia obesa con le delizie che ci sono. Forse bisognerebbe fare una dieta ferrea almeno un mese prima di andarci.
    Allora il frangipane è il nome che danno qui a quelle torte a base di mandorle, burro, zucchero e uova. Buonissime! Le ho viste con prugne, ciliegie, ecc. Ovviamente per un’occasione speciale!

  • L’occasione speciale, nel mio caso, e’stata il desiderio di uscire dalla routine e di evitare la fine di Giovanni Drogo. Be’,ne è valsa la pena. Ho sfornato la torta alle 5 di sera e alle 8 ne era rimasta poco più di un quarto. Insomma un grande successo. Deliziosa!

    • Sono proprio contenta di starti “forzando” ad uscire dalla tua routine, cara Ross! Come ben sai io e la signorina routine non andiamo molto d’accordo. Ha ha! Beh sono contenta che la torta sia piaciuta in famiglia. Tra i DVD che ti presto e i nuovi piatti che ti obbligo a fare tra poco avrò “special status” a casa tua e mi metteranno il tappeto rosso quando arrivo…:-) Scherzi a parte, un’ultima cosa da aggiungere per chi non sapesse chi è Giovanni Drogo. Non è un nostro collega. E’ il personaggio principale del deserto dei Tartari di Dino Buzzati, libro che abbiamo letto insieme nel nostro book group. Lo consiglio vivamente. Very thought provoking!

  • Hola
    Mе encantó la formа en quе escribe sobre el tema.

    Volveré regresando esta web

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