Pear and Blackberry Frangipane Tart
Crisp sweet pastry case filled with blackberry jam, frangipane and poached pears. Each bite is a harmonious blend of sweet pears, tart blackberries, and nutty almond notes.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- 1 23cm (9in) flan tin, with fluted sides with a loose bottom
- 1 baking tray
- Large saucepan
- Rolling Pin
- baking beans (or uncooked rice)
Ingredients
For the Sweet Pasty
- 225 g plain flour (8oz)
- 50 g icing sugar (2oz) , sieved
- 100 g butter (3½oz) chilled & diced
- 1 medium egg lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon cold water if required
For the Frangipane
- 125 g Butter (4oz)softened
- 125 g golden caster (4oz)
- 3 medium eggs
- 125 g ground almonds (4oz)
For the Fruit
- 400 g blackberries (14oz)
- 1 lemon zest & juice
- 2 tablespoon golden caster sugar
- 450 ml water (¾pt)
- 2 pears of similar size
- 1 – 2 tablespoon honey , to glaze
Instructions
To make the pastry
- Place 225g flour and 50g icing sugar in a bowl and add 100g cold diced butter. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs
- Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the beaten egg. Mix to form a dough, adding a little water if necessary. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead the dough for a few seconds. Wrap in cling film and place in a cool place for 20 minutes to rest.
To cook the pears
- Meanwhile, set 12 blackberries aside. Place the remaining of the 400g of blackberries in a large saucepan with the zest of a lemon and 2 tablespoons of caster sugar. Add about 450ml water. Bring to the boil stirring until the sugar dissolves, then reduce the heat to just simmering.
- Thinly peel two pears, cut in half and remove the core and stalk with a paring knife and teaspoon. Place the pears into the blackberry liquor. Cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook for 20 - 30 minutes until the pears are tender.
- Carefully remove the cooked pears from the pan, placing them on a large plate to cool. Once the pears have cooled, gently remove any blackberry residue from the fruit. Place on a sheet of kitchen paper and set aside.
Make the blackberry jam
- Increase the heat under the blackberry mixture. Add the juice from half of the lemon and stir. and boil, allowing the liquid to reduce in volume. Stir regularly. Boil until the mixture has become thick and jammy in texture. Remove from the heat and set aside
Bake the pastry case
- While the jam is cooking, roll out the pastry and use to line the flan tin. Place into the fridge to chill for about 10 - 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190℃ (170℃ fan)/375°F/gas mark 5. Prick the base of the pastry case and line with baking parchment. Fill with baking beans and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the baking beans and parchement and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread the blackberry mixture over the base of the tart and allow to cool.
Make the frangipnae
- Put 125g softened butter and 125g caster sugars into a bowl and beat, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in 125g ground almonds until just combined.
- Carefully spread the frangipane over the blackberry mixture. You may find this easier if you pipe the frangipane on top - see notes below.
To complete
- For long pears, place the pears cut side down onto the work surface and make six deep cuts through the pear. For the shorter pears, make the six slashes, but cutting only halfway through the pear. Arrange the pears on top of the frangipane. If your pears are longer than the radius of the flan you will need to curve the pears. Arrange the reserved blackberries between the pears. Avoid pushing the fruit into the frangipane.
- If your pears are long, encourage them to create a curve though still pointing to the centre. Place the remaining 3 pears in the same way aiming for an equal distance between each of them. Place 3 blackberries between each pear.
- Bake the frangipane. Place the flan tin into the oven (on the preheated baking tray) and bake for 35 - 45 minutes. The tart is ready when the sponge is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, brush with honey and set aside to cool.
Notes
Cook's Tip
- To easily spread the frangipane over the blackberry mixture, fill a piping bag (no nozzle required) with the frangipane mixture and pipe in a spiral starting on the outside of the tart over the jam (this will help prevent the jam from being disturbed). Gently use the back of a spoon or a palette knife teaspoon to smooth out the frangipane if necessary.
- For tips on making shortcrust pastry see this post on how to make perfect shortcrust pastry my other blog Recipes Made Easy.
- The tart will keep for several days if stored in an airtight container or well wrapped in a cool place. You can also keep it in the fridge for a little longer but make sure you bring it up to room temperature before serving.
- The tart freezes well for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.