PEAR TART FRANGIPANE

PEAR TART FRANGIPANE 1 (10 inch) tart shell Bake until lightly golden (use your favorite pastry recipe). 1 lemon 1 c. sugar 1/2 c. sugar 2 tbsp. sugar 1 stick unsalted butter 2 lg. eggs 1 c. blanched almonds, ground 2 tbsp. flour 1/2 c. apricot preserves Water FIRST: POACH THE PEARS Peel, halve and core pears; put in bowl of cold water with the juice of one lemon. Combine 2 cups water with 1 cup sugar in a large skillet and bring to boil. Add a chunk of lemon rind. Stir occasionally while bringing to boil. Cook pears until just tender (15 minutes or more, depending on ripeness of pears). Let cool in liquid, then drain. SECOND: PREPARE TART SHELL THIRD: MAKE "FRANGIPANE" Cream together softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, then almonds and flour, mixing well. FOURTH: BAKE TART Spread "frangipane" evenly over tart shell, arrange pears, cut side down over it. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so, until "frangipane" is puffed up a little and golden brown. FIFTH: GLAZE If apricot preserves have big chunks, strain them out (you will not have this problem if you use the cheapest preserves you can find). Combine apricot preserves and 2 tablespoons sugar and bring to boil in a small pan. Cook 2-3 minutes. (This can also be done in a microwave.) Daub on the glaze with a pastry brush, covering entire face of tart.

Optional: When peeling pears, leave stems and a few flecks of skin on so everyone will know they did not come out of a can!

#pear #tart #frangipane