Ingredients

For the pastry:

  • 80g butter, cut into cubes
  • 140g plain flour
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 1 to 2 large egg yolks (reserve whites to use for omelet or meringue)

For the filling:

  • 3 ripe pears
  • 75g butter
  • 75g brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 20g ground almonds
  • 75g self-raising flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 25g cocoa, unsweetened
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 20g flaked almonds
 

Making the Pastry

  1. Place the butter and flour in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs; add the icing sugar and rub in
  2. Whisk the egg yoke with a fork, then add to the dry ingredients; using a round bladed knife, make a cutting motion until the dough comes together into a ball
  3. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes or overnight
  4. Lightly butter 24cm pastry tin or cake pan; remove pastry from fridge
  5. On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to fit the base only of the pan; roll the pastry around the rolling pin and carefully transfer it into the base of the tin; use your fingers to snugly mould the pastry; return to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes

Making the Filling

  1. Heat the oven to 190°C / 170°C Fan / Gas 5
  2. Peel the pears, halve and carefully core; place to one side
  3. Cream together the butter and sugar, add the egg, ground almonds and beat together; sift in cocoa powder, fold in the flour, baking powder and milk
  4. Spoon filling evenly over pastry; arrange pear halves cut side down on top; sprinkle with flaked almonds; bake for 30 minutes
  5. After 30 minutes cover tart with tin foil and bake a further 15 minutes
  6. Allow to cool for 15 minutes; remove from the pastry tin and transfer to a serving plate; dust with a little extra icing sugar
 

BK Tips

  • If you do not have self-raising flour on hand, you may add an additional 1 tsp of baking powder to plain flour