Pear frangipane tart

This is a very easy dessert to make, especially if you use ready made pastry.  I made this after twelve hours at work and felt like a celebrity chef as my lovely wife had prepared all the ingredients for me.  She could have made it too but baulked at making the frangipane.  The recipe I used; courtesy of Marks and Spencer magazine, uses the toffee poured over the tart but I wasn't impressed.  I'd keep it and pour it over if required.  I used Anchor ready made pastry for the first time and was quite impressed, two days later and its still retained its crunch.

PEAR FRANGIPANE TART

 

• 50g butter
• 3tbsp soft brown butter
• 4 Conference pears peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges
• 250g ready made pastry

For the frangipane

• 100g butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 30g plain flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 1 tsp almond essence

Preheat your oven for 190C/375F/Gas 5 and place a baking sheet or tray on the top shelf
Whilst it is heating up melt the butter and sugar together in a pan till the sugar has all melted.  Put the pear slices into the pan and cook for two minutes on each side
Sieve the pears into a bowl and reserve the toffee syrup
Roll out the pastry and line a 25cm loose bottomed tart tin.  Prick it all over with a fork.  Line with baking paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind on the sheet for 20 minutes.  Remove the paper and beans and set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 189C/350F/Gas 4

To make the frangipane.
Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy
Beat in the egg and almond essence
Fold in the flour and ground almonds.
Spread the frangipane in the tart case then arrange the pear slices on top
Bake for about 30 minutes until golden and just set.
If the middle won't brown cut a circle in the middle of a sheet of baking paper and place it on top and the middle should brown nicely without burning the edges.
Remove from the oven and after ten minutes pop the tart out of the tin.  The pastry should be cooked and golden brown

If you like pour the toffee syrup over the tart or if you prefer put it in a jug and serve separately.  The tart is equally as nice warm or at room temperature.