Pear and Frangipane Tart

 A friend of mine showed me her sons cooking book and I found this recipe interesting. 

Easy and delicious, just a little time consuming.

(recipe from"The Usborne Cookbook for Children")

Serves 6


20 cm (8 inch) flan tin
For the pastry:

• 175 gr (6 oz) plain flour
• 25 gr (1 oz) icing sugar
• 100 gr (4 oz)chilled butter
• 1 medium egg

For the frangipane:

• 50 gr (2 oz) butter, softened
• 50 gr (2 oz) caster sugar
• 50 gr (2 oz) ground almonds
• 1 medium egg
• 15 gr (1/2 oz)self-raising flour
• 3 small, ripe pears (or tinned pears)

For the glaze:

• 2 tbsp smooth apricot jam
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Step one 

 Sift the flour and the icing sugar trough a sieve into a large bowl. Then cut the butter into cubes and stir them in. Rub the butter into the flour with the tips of your finger. Carry on rubbing until the mixture looks like fine bread crumbs add the egg. Then stir it in, until everything starts to stick together. Wrap the pastry in plastic foil then in the fridge for 20 min.

Step Two

 Put the pastry onto a floury surface.Sprinkle flour on a rolling pin. roll over the pastry once then turn it. Roll over and turn the pastry again and again. Carry on until the pastry is slightly bigger than the flan tin.Roll the pastry around the rolling pin. Lift it up and unroll it over the tin. Gently push the pastry into the edges of the tin. Roll the rolling pin over the tin. Then, cover the pastry case with plastic foil and put it in the fridge for 20 min.

Step Three

 Put a baking sheet in the oven .Heat the oven to 200 ºC, 400 ºF, gas mark 6. Then pick the pastry base with a fork. Cut a large square of aluminium foil and gently press it into the pastry case. Then, fill the foil with baking beans. Put the flan tin on the hot baking sheet and bake for 10 min. Carefully remove the foil and beans. Then bake the empty case for another 8-10 min or until pale golden. 

Step Four

Put the hot baking tray back into the oven on its own. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 170 ºC, 325 ºF, gas mark 3. Then, prepare the filling for the tart. Put the butter and the sugar into a large bowl and beat them together until they are light and fluffy. Add a tablespoon of ground almonds and beat it in. Break the egg into a small bowl and beat it well with a fork. Add the egg to the mixture in the large bowl, a little at a time, beating it well after each addition. Add the remaining ground almonds and beat them into the mixture. Sift in the flour. Then, gently stir the mixture until all the ingredients are mixed together.

Step Five

 Put a pear onto a chopping board. Cut it in half lengthwise, from the stalk to the base. Using a small teaspoon , scoop out the core from the middle of each half. Using a sharp knife carefully peel the pears. Put each piece flat side down on the chopping board. Cut five slits 2/3 of the way into the tick end of each piece. Spoon the frangipane into the pastry case. Spread it out using the back of the spoon. Arrange the pears on top, flat side down, with the thin ends in the middle.

Step Six

 Bake the tart in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the pastry case and filling are dark golden. Carefully take the tart out of the oven. Put it on a wire rack to cool. For the glaze, mix the apricot jam and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Brush the glaze over the top of the warm tart , using a pastry brush and serve.

ENJOY!!!!!

Tip: try making mini tattlers faster to cook and good for guests :)