Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts Fruits
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Pastry:
8 oz Plain flour
1 pn Sea salt
1 tb Caster sugar
5 oz Unsalted butter
1 Egg yolk -- size 1
3 tb Water -- very cold
Filling:
4 lg Ripe pears
200 g Lebkuchen biscuits
2 oz Hazelnuts -- ground
5 oz Unsalted butter
4 1/2 oz Caster sugar
2 Eggs -- size 1
2 tb Ginger wine
Creme fraiche (optional)
You will need a 10" tart tin, preferably 1-1/2" deep, with a
removable base; some baking parchment; dried baking beans.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5, 375 F, 190 C.
Put the flour, salt, sugar in the processor and whiz for a few
seconds. Chop the butter roughly with a knife, add to the flour,
and process for about 15 seconds until you have a rough, crumb-like
mixture. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and water together
and then add to the flour and butter. Whiz for about 30 seconds or
until the pastry dough has left the sides of the bowl and is
clinging in a solid mass around the central spindle. Take out the
pastry and lightly mould with your hands into a flattish round, so
that later it will roll out more easily to the shape of the tart
tin. Wrap it in cling film and put in the fridge to rest for about
30 minutes or overnight.
Take a scrap of butter and thoroughly grease the tart tin, paying
special attention to the area where the base and sides meet. Roll
out your pastry to the thickness of a chamois leather (you will
have some surplus). Line the tart tin, making sure you do not
stretch the pastry, by starting in the middle of the tin and
draping the pastry gently and easily outwards towards the corners
and then up the sides. Prick the base all over with a fork and put
the tin back into the fridge for another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut a piece of baking parchment to fit inside the pastry
crust. Remove the pastry lined tin from the fridge, line with the
baking parchment and sprinkle some beans over the bottom. Place in
the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes until the pastry has
'set' and is light golden. Remove from the oven, take out the
parchment and beans, and return pastry crust to the oven for a
further 3 minutes to colour the bottom. Then remove again and leave
to cool, still in the tin.
Put the biscuits in a food processor and whiz until coarse crumbs.
Empty and combine the crumbs and ground hazelnuts in a bowl. Now
put the butter and sugar in the food processor and cream together
until smooth and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a small bowl until well
mixed. To prevent the 'frangipane' curdling, first add about a
third of the nut and crumb mixture to the creamed butter in the
food processor and whiz for a few seconds until incorporated. Carry
on with the nut and crumbs, then egg, until everything is mixed in
but do not over process. Finally, add the ginger wine or other
liqueur.
Peel the pears and cut them in half lengthways. Core, but leave the
stalks on. Then make lengthways cuts down the pears, as if to fan,
leaving the base intact. Now spoon in the frangipane mixture to
cover the pastry case and place the pears on top with the stalks
pointing towards the middle. Bake for 25 minutes at gas mark 3,
325 F, 170 C until golden brown and the mixture only just set -
it's better if the mixture is still a little soft in the centre as
it add a creamy texture to the finished tart. This is better eaten
just warm rather than piping hot. Serve either plain or with a good
dollop of creme fraiche.
