Serves 8
Prep time: 2 hours
Poached Pears
1 cup white wine
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 strip lemon zest, cut with a vegetable peeler or knife
1 cinnamon stick
2 firm bosc pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
Combine 1 cup wine, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 strip lemon zest, and
1 cinnamon stick in a small pot. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Add pears to cooking liquid. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low,
cover and simmer until pears are tender, turning pears occasionally, about
10–15 minutes, depending on ripeness of pears. Drain the pears.
Discard cinnamon sticks, lemon peel and vanilla bean. Boil the poaching
liquid on high heat until reduced to syrup, about 12-15 minutes. It should
be like melted jelly.
Crust
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 425º.
Beat 1/2 cup soft butter and 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar. Add 1 cup flour
and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Press the dough together into a disk, wrap in plastic
wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out to about 1/8-inch thickness..
Ease into an 11-inch tart pan. Press into the pan and half way up the
sides. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
Filling
1 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 white wine poached pears with reserved syrup
Place 1 cup almonds and 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor. Process until
finely ground. Add 1/2 cup butter, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons rum, 1/2 teaspoon
almond extract and 2 tablespoons flour. Process until smooth. Spread evenly
into the chilled tart shell.Cut the pear quarters with three slices, not
all the way to the top, to create a fan. Lay on top of the almond filing
in a circle. Decorate with additional almonds in the center, if desired.Bake
for 45 minutes until puffed and browned. Brush the reduced syrup on the
tart.
Serves 8
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