Pear And Frengepane tart

Pear and Hazelnut Frangipane Tart 

This is a dessert that I often prepared for my dinner parties and also when I was asked to bring a dessert.  Since pears are in season I thought I would repeat a recipe I posted July 7, 2007.  The recipe calls for Bosc pears which do not soften when cooked.  I prefer a Bartlett pear.  This tart looks so delectable like one from a European bakery.

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Ingredients:

Tart Crust:

1 3/4 cup flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces

3 - 5 Tablespoons ice water

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In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, salt and butter until it resembles corn meal. Add ice water only until a small handful squeezed holds together. Pat into a 10 inch tart pan. I use the bowl of a serving spoon to even and smooth the bottom.

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Frangipane:

Ingredients:

1 cup hazelnuts, skins rubbed off and cooled

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

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3 firm ripe Bosc pears (I prefer Bartlett)

1/4 cup apricot preserves, heated and strained

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Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and heat in oven for 12 to 15 minutes. The skins will crack and loosen. Remove from oven and place in a towel and roll up to allow steam to loosen skins more. When cool rub between layers of the towel to remove the loosened skins.

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Place the cool hazelnits and 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour in a food processor and pulse to chop the hazelnuts.

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In a mixer bowl add the butter and 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and extract flavorings and fold in the nut mixture. Spread on the crust.

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Peel the 3 Bosc pears. Cut each pear in half and slice lengthwise in 1/4" strips being careful not to cut all of the way through at the blossom end. This will allow you to fan out the pears. Arrange the blossom end of pear to the center of the tart. I have already sliced the pears through and arranged the slices in a decorative design of the tart.

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Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Heat and strain the apricot preserves. When the tart has cooled spread the strained preserves on the pears only.