Kathy’s Pear Almond Tart

Employ your inner artistic self to layer the pears over the almond cream in this elegant pear almond tart for a dessert that is a beautiful as it is delicious. The cook’s artist husband compared the effect to the sky in a traditional Japanese woodcut.

This lovely pear almond tart is best served warm, and is elegant enough to stand on its own. If you want to embellish it, the addition of a whiskey sauce or whipped cream works, too.

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
• 2-4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 1 cup blanched almonds
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cold unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 2 15 oz cans pear halves, drained and sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Make the crust by combining the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, a sprinkle at a time, and pulse until the dough just holds together.
2. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Roll the dough between two sheets of floured wax paper to fit your removable bottom tart pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and press up the sides with your fingertips. Refrigerate.
5. Make the filling by combining the almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor until they are finely ground. Add butter, egg, flour, salt and almond extract. Process until combined.
6. Spread the apricot jam – reserved a couple tablespoons for later – on the bottom of the chilled tart shell. Place the almond cream on top and chill for another 15 minutes. Add a thin layer of sliced almonds over the almond cream. Arrange the pear slices in a layered pattern over the top of the almonds.
7. Place the pear almond tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cream is slightly puffed and set. Cool on a wire rack. Remove from the tart pan and brush the top with the remaining melted jam.

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