Chocolate and Almond Pear Tart

I just love Pear and Almond tart. It is so simple to make and it tastes so delicious. When I started to cook pastries, I used tinned pears. The tart tasted great but I decided to take it to another level. When thinking of this recipe, I decided to use one of the most classic combinations, pear and chocolate. With the winter months coming, I thought this tart should be really indulgent so I first poached my pears in red wine and then used a chocolate shortcrust pastry and a tasty chocolate frangipane. The result is just divine: a moist chocolate tart with flavoursome pears! I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Shortcrust Pastry

20g Dutch cocoa
50g icing sugar
40g ground almonds
200g plain flour
125g cold unsalted butter, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the Red wine Poached Pears

4 pears (Williams or Beurre Bosc variety), peeled, cored and halved
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
450ml Red wine
50ml Port wine
1 tsp Vanilla essence

For the Chocolate Frangipane

120g butter softened
150g caster sugar
200g almond meal
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
50 ml Orange liqueur (such as Cointreau)
50g Dutch cocoa

Directions

Place the pieces of pear in the bottom of a heavy based saucepan. Add the sugar, spices, and then cover with port and wine.

Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for about half an hour. Once cooked leave the pears to cool down in the cooking liquid.

While the Pears are simmering, prepare the chocolate pastry. In a large bowl, place the flour, ground almonds, icing sugar and Dutch cocoa. Mix them together until well combined.

Add the butter and, using the tip of your fingers, combine with the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the beaten egg to the butter/ flour mixture and knead until a loose ball forms. Wrap the pastry in plastic film and place it in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

To make the frangipane, place the butter and caster sugar in the food mixer and beat until light and creamy.

Then add the eggs and the yolk, one at the time to avoid having the mixture curdle.

Then, add the cocoa powder and the Orange liqueur. Mix well until combined.

Preheat a fan forced oven at 160 degrees Celsius.

Roll out the pastry to 3 mm thick and line a greased flan tin with it. Cover the top of the pastry with baking paper and baking beans on the top. Bake the pastry blind for about 15 minutes. Leave the pastry to cool slightly.

Arrange the pears on the pastry in a circular pattern.

Pour the frangipane over the pears and smooth it out so it is even.

Place the tart in the oven and cook it for 30 minutes. The inside of the tart should stay moist. Serve the tart, slightly warm, with some whipped cream.

Recipe By Tatiana, Flavoursome Delights
Total time including refrigeration: 2 hours
Yield: 1 pie, 8 - 10 servings