Pear Frangipane Tart
 
Hands-on time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Yields: 10
Ingredients
  • FOR THE CRUST:
  • 2/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp canola oil
  • 4 Tbsp cold almond milk
  • FOR THE TART:
  • 6 Tbsp Earth Balance, cut into pieces
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup blanched sliced almonds
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • pinch salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 4 pears (Bartlet or Bosc), peeled, halved, cored and sliced thinly crosswise
  • 1/4 cup apricot jam, melted
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a tart pan, springform pan or pie dish with cooking spray.
  2. First, prepare the crust. In a food processor, pulse almonds into a fine meal. Add flour and salt and pulse to combine. Stream in canola oil and 3 Tbsp of almond milk while continuing to pulse. Mixture should hold together when pressed between your fingertips; if it still feels a little dry, mix in one more additional Tbsp of almond milk at a time.
  3. Sprinkle almond mixture into prepared pan and press to the bottom and sides. Press the crust as far up the sides as you can to hold in the filling.
  4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool while you prepare the filling, but keep oven at 350.
  5. To make the frangipane, process almonds to a fine meal in the food processor. Pulse in Earth Balance, sugar, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, and salt until crumbly. Continue to pulse and stream in almond milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract to form a thick batter. Spread frangipane mixture into cooled tart shell.
  6. Pat the pears dry with a paper towel. Gently press one sliced pear into the frangipane in the center of the tart. This is best done with an offset spatula, but can be done carefully with a knife. For the rest of the pears, tip the slices over so that they are leaning over, rather than standing straight up (see pictures or America's Test Kitchen link above). Carefully place them in a circle around the center pear, thin ends pointing inward.
  7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until tart is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes, then brush (carefully!) with melted jam. Cool completely before slicing.
Recipe by Coffee & Quinoa at https://www.coffeeandquinoa.com/2012/11/pear-frangipane-tart/