PEAR AND ALMOND CREAM TART |
Serves 6
pâte brisée:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon
water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 tablespoons
unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, beaten for glazing the baked crust
3 pears, fresh poached in sugar, water, and vanilla or or 6 canned pear
halves,
Almond pastry cream:
1 cup milk
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup
sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup
finely ground almonds
1 tablespoon kirsch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Apricot glaze:
1/2 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon
Kirsch
For crust:
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, combine flour, egg, water, sugar,
vanilla and butter. Process until dough forms a bowl. Cover and chill dough for
30 minutes. Roll the dough inch thick to fit an 8 inch fluted
removable-bottomed tart pan. Cover with parchment paper, fill the center with
weights, and bake until the edges start to brown. Remove weights and paper.
Brush bottom and sides with beaten egg.
Arrange pears over bottom of pie
crust.
Almond pastry cream:
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a
boil. Whip egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix in cornstarch.
Stir in the hot milk. Pour in a saucepan, and whisk over medium heat until
thick and bubbly. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in the almond, kirsch and
butter.
Spoon mixture over pears and bake for 15 minutes.
Cool on rack.
For glaze: In a small saucepan, melt the apricot jam over low heat. Stir in
the kirsch. Strain through a fine strainer and spoon over pie to glaze.