Preparation method

Pastry:

• Preheat oven to 190°C.
• Sift the flour with salt onto working surface.
• Make well in centre.
• Add rest of ingredients to centre.
• Using the fingers, with pecking motion, combine ingredients well.
• Using palette knife in other hand, draw flour, cutting into butter mixture.
• Draw together and knead until smooth.
• Do not overwork.
• Chill well before use.
• Roll out pastry to ±3 mm thick.
• Line a pastry ring (23cm).
• Prick and bake blind for 10 – 15 minutes, at 190°C.
• Loosen the edges, and bottom immediately.
• Leave to cool.

Poached Pears:

• Poached Pears
• Combine all ingredients, except pears, in large saucepan.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
• Half pears lengthwise, removing core and stem.
• Add pears, lower heat, and cook for ±25 minutes, until pears are tender.
• If necessary, turn the pear over gently so that they cook evenly.
• Leave to cool.

Pear Frangipane Filling:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add egg, ground almonds, rum, almond extract, and flour.
• Beat until smooth.
• Spread the thick mixture evenly into the chilled Pâte Sablée.
• Refrigerate while preparing pears
• Remove cooled poached pears from the liquid (reserve liquid).
• Cut each half crosswise into thin slices.
• Arrange sliced pear halves on frangipane.
• Leave enough space between pear slices for frangipane to rise.
• Place one-half in the centre of tart.
• Spread the pears towards centre of tart, filling the space.
• Bake for 45 min, until tart shell is golden brown and frangipane has puffed and browned.
• While tart is baking, bring reserved liquid to a boil to reduce by half.
• Brush this glaze lightly over tart as soon as it comes out of oven.
• Leave to cool.