Ercolini Pear Almond Tart

 
I love tarts. I know I should be making more cookies but I think that tarts are almost...almost like cookies.

A tart consists of a shortcrust pastry, technically is a shortbread cookie, which is topped with a filling. Hahaha...I think I am trying too hard to wiggle myself out of this "cookie and bull" story.

This is another tart recipe to show case the autumn fruit, Ercolini pears. These mini blushing pears give out a floral scent when they are ripe. Their fragrance and sweetness increase as they ripen.

Ercolini Pear Almond Tart

(makes a 20cm round tart)

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Ingredients:

135g organic unbleached all purpose flour (ordinary all purpose flour will work too)

1 1/2 Tbsp icing sugar

68g unsalted butter, cold

1/8 tsp salt
1 - 2 Tbsp cold water

Steps to pastry:

• Place flour, sugar and butter into a mixing bowl, using a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour and sugar mixture until mixture resembles breadcrumb. (work fast in our humid Singapore weather)
• Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time until the mixture, when pressed in your hand, is able to just hold together.
• Pour the mixture onto a cling wrap and press the mixture to form a round disc. Wrap it in the cling wrap and chill for 30 min.
• Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius.
• Roll out the dough a little bigger than pie ring/pan and place the dough into the pie ring/pan. Using your finger to press the dough into the flute of the pan. Using a fork, dork the base of the tart.
• Line the inside of the tart with a baking paper and pour some beans on paper to weigh down the pastry.
• Bake for 15 - 20 min with the weights
• Remove the beans and baking paper and bake the tart for another 10 min. 

For the Frangipane
Ingredients
80g butter, room temperature
80g sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk, room temprature
2 Tbsp Cointreau liqueur (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
80g ground almond
33g unbleached all purpose flour

Steps to frangipane:

• Whisk the egg and the yolk using a fork in a bowl and set aside.
• Beat butter until very soft (not melted) and pale, then beat in sugar, in 4 to 5 additions, until fully incorporated. Gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in liqueur, if using, and vanilla extract. Add the ground almond and flour and stir well to combine.

Steps to assembling the tart:
Ingredients
3 Ercolini pear, ripened and peeled
1/2 Tbsp apricot jam + 1 tsp water

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

• Spread the frangipane evenly over the base of the cooled pastry case.  Halve and core the pears.
• Take the prepared pears and place cut side down on the frangipane.
• Press the sliced pears gently into the frangipane a little. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until the frangipane has risen a little, is golden and set. To check, insert a skewer into the middle; it should come out clean.
• Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheet, then remove the side of the baking ring/pan and slide the tart onto a wire rack.
• While the tart is still warm, brush only the pears with the warm apricot glaze (warm the apricot jam with water in the microwave oven for 10 seconds). The tart is best served warm or at room temperature. 

Other tart recipes that features autumn fruits:

Autumn Honey Pluots and Almond Tart

Nectarine Crumble Galette

Apple Crumble Tart

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