There is no doubt that, for the French, the most popular sweet pairing is fruit and pastry. And they are never mean with the ratio of fruit to pastry either.
You can also smear the base of this tart with raspberry jam (recipe below), scatter a couple of handfuls of fresh raspberries, and then add the frangipane and top with flaked almonds.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 Beurre Bosc or D’Anjou pears
- Armagnac, for soaking
- Flaked almonds, for sprinkling
- Icing sugar, for dusting
For the shortcrust pastry
- 125 g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 210 g plain flour
- Pinch of sea salt flakes
- 1 egg
- 1¼ tablespoons cold water
For the frangipane
- 125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 125 g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1½ tablespoons plain flour
- 125 g (1¼ cups) ground almonds
METHOD
1 The night before, peel and quarter the pears and soak in armagnac overnight.
2 To make the pastry, work the butter through the flour and salt until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
3 Make a well in the centre, add the egg and water and bring together to form a dough – try not to handle it too much or the pastry will be tough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes before using.
4 To make the frangipane, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the flour and ground almonds and beat to combine. Set aside.
5 Roll out the pastry to a 3 mm thickness and use to line a 24 cm fluted tart tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Remove the pastry case from the refrigerator and fill with the frangipane. Arrange the pear quarters on top and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
7 Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack until cool enough to handle, then remove from the tin. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
♥
Raspberry Jam
MAKES: about 2 litres
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg raspberries
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 kg caster sugar
METHOD
1 Place the raspberries and lemon juice in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat gently until the fruit is loosened and comes to the boil. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
2 Bring to the boil and cook until the jam reaches 104°C or setting point on a sugar thermometer, stirring every so often. The setting point can be checked by placing a small amount on a chilled saucer, letting it cool for a moment and then running a finger through to see if it ‘puckers’. Pour the jam into sterilised jars while hot and seal with a lid.
For more delicious inspiration pick up a copy of A Heide Harvest by Alice Crowe and Maximilian, published by Thames & Hudson Australia, RRP AUD$64.99.
This recipe was originally published in the article A Heide Harvest in Issue 40 – A Little Abundance. You can purchase previous issues and enjoy more enchanting content here.
