Pear frangipane tart recipe

This delicious frangipane pear tart is perfect for a special dinner party and we guarantee it will make a very memorable dessert that guests will have a hard time forgetting.

Frangipane is a rich almond paste that tastes great with pears. In this recipe it’s used in a classic French tart, and we can just say it’s definitely a match made in heaven.

To make this masterpiece, you will have to set aside 1 hr 35 mins of kitchen time, but the divine taste of this pear frangipane tart will make every second worth it. To start off you need to make the pastry from scratch, which only takes flour and butter, and put in the fridge to chill for 30mins.

The filling will take you approximately half hour to prep, then you’ll need to bake the tart for 45 mins in the oven. This frangipane pear tart is perfect for an afternoon pick-me up with a cuppa but if you’re having it as a dessert, why not serve with a little extra on the side? A slice with a dollop of cream is the perfect finish to a special meal, but you can also serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – enjoy!

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 200g (7oz) plain flour
• 100g (3½ oz) butter, chilled and diced

For the filling:

• 100g (3½ oz) butter, softened
• 100g (3½ oz) caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 100g (3½ oz) ground almonds
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 plump, ripe pears (eg, Comice)
• Knob of butter, melted
• 2tsp caster sugar
• 1tbsp smooth apricot jam

Method

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour, then rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in 2tbsp cold water and mix until the dough clings together. Knead into a ball, then flatten into a round. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
2. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a 23cm (9in) loose-based round fluted flan tin. Trim the edges, fill the case with paper or foil and baking beans. Bake for 10 mins at 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Remove the foil and beans, then bake for another 10-12 mins.
3. To make the filling, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the almonds and lemon zest and smooth the mixture into the pastry case.
4. Peel and halve the pears, carefully cutting out the cores. Place cut-side down and slice thinly across the width, keeping slices together. Arrange in the tart filling and slide the slices apart a little. Brush the melted butter over the fruit. Sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake for 45 mins until the frangipane is puffy and golden and the pears are just cooked.
6. Glaze the pears with the apricot jam. Remove from the tin and serve warm or cold with cream, if you like.