Pear, Chocolate and Almond Tart
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
- 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
- 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
- Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes or overnight
- Lightly butter 24cm pastry tin or cake pan; remove pastry from fridge
- 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
- Heat the oven to 190°C / 170°C Fan / Gas 5
- Peel the pears, halve and carefully core; place to one side
- 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
- Spoon filling evenly over pastry; arrange pear halves cut side down on top; sprinkle with flaked almonds; bake for 30 minutes
- After 30 minutes cover tart with tin foil and bake a further 15 minutes
- 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