Ingredients

For the Pastry:

For the Filling:

Method 

For 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 until just incorporated
2. Whisk the egg yolks with a fork in a small bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or a dough scraper, 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 at least 20 minutes, or overnight
4. Remove pastry from fridge. Lightly butter a 24cm pastry tin or cake pan with a removable base
5. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out dough so it's big enough to only fit the base only of the tin or 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 around the rest of the tin, up to the edges. Return to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes

For the Filling:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C / 170°C Fan / Gas 5
2. Peel, halve and carefully core the pears, and set aside
3. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and ground almonds, and beat together. Sift in cocoa powder. Fold in the flour, baking powder and milk until incorporated
4. Spoon filling evenly over pastry. Arrange pear halves cut side down on top. Sprinkle with flaked almonds.
5. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, cover tart with tin foil and bake for a further 15 minutes
6. Allow tart 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
  
  
• For a simpler tart, omit the cocoa powder