Pear Tarts
These pear frangipane puff pastry tarts are the perfect balance of crisp, buttery layers, soft baked pears, and a nutty almond filling, an elegant dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make.
Makes 6 tarts
Ingredients:
Filling:
20 g butter, melted and cooled
50 g ground almonds
40 g sugar
½ tsp almond extract
½ beaten egg (M), room temperature
Tarts:
1-2 sheet puff pastry (shop bought)
3 small pears (ripe but firm, e.g. “Early Desire, Sweet Sensation, Red Conference”)
½ beaten egg (reserved from above) for brushing
Icing sugar, for dusting
Instructions:
Heat oven to 180°C fan oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Filling: whisk melted butter, ground almonds, sugar, ½ beaten egg and 1/2 tsp of almond extract to a smooth paste.
Pears: peel, halve, and core. Make close cuts across the top, stopping before you cut through.
Cut puff pastry into 6 square pieces (that will fit the pear) and place on lined baking sheet. Using a pear half as a guide, cut 6 pear-shaped bases with about an 8 mm rim; make a continuous cut for the stalk and pear leaf.
Fill heaped teaspoon of the almond filling in the center of each pear half and place on top of the trimmed pear shaped pastry.
With a sharp knife, score around the pear and leaves about 8 mm from the edge, don’t cut through.
Brush the exposed pastry (not the pears) with the remaining ½ beaten egg.
Bake 18–20 min until the pastry is well puffed and golden and the pears are tender.
Cool 5 min, dust with icing sugar, and serve warm.
Tips: If you do not like almond frangipane you could fill it with nutella or another chocolate spread.