Recipe
This gorgeous pear frangipane slab tart recipe needs to be on your list
This pear frangipane slab tart is a show-stopping dessert that’s surprisingly simple to make and perfect for sharing.
By Ruby Gross
This gorgeous tart is one of my favourite things to make, take and share. You can use any fruit, but pears are particularly beautiful. And you can make it in any shape, but a big slab like this is so easy to make and then cut into squares to share around. I hope you try and love it too.
SERVES 4–6
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
food processor, rolling pin, and pastry brush
Ingredients to make pear frangipane slab tart recipe
Pastry
300 g (10½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch of salt
1⁄3 cup (40 g) icing (confectioners’) sugar
225 g (8 oz) chilled unsalted butter, finely diced
¼ cup (60 ml) chilled water
Frangipane
1½ cups (240 g) raw almonds, freshly toasted
160 g (5¾ oz) butter, softened
½ cup (110 g) caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Poached pears
4 cups (1 litre) cold water
2 cups (440 g) caster (superfine) sugar, plus 3 tablespoons extra for dusting
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
4 beurré bosc pears (or other firm pears), peeled, halved and cored
Egg wash
1 egg
1 tablespoon pouring cream
How to make pear frangipane slab tart recipe
For the pastry, combine the flour, salt and icing sugar on a clean work surface. Bring into a small mound and make a well in the centre. Fill this with the butter and a splash of the chilled water.
Use the heel of your hands to bring the mixture together, working the butter into the flour, adding more water as needed. Keep working and smooshing with the heel of your hand until you have a rough dough.
Shape into a disc, cover with biodegradable plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest for 30 minutes. You could also make the pastry in a food processor.
For the frangipane, tip the almonds into a food processor and blitz to a coarse crumb. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz until you have a lovely paste.
Refrigerate until ready to assemble. Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F fan-forced (220°C/425°F conventional). Line a baking tray with baking paper and lightly dust your work surface with flour.
For the poached pears, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a large saucepan over medium–high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add the pears, cover with a circle of baking paper (to prevent discolouration), then poach for 10–15 minutes or until the pears are tender. Leave to cool in the pan.
To assemble, using a rolling pin, gently roll out your chilled pastry dough to a 30 × 25 cm (12 × 10 inch) rectangle about 3 mm (1⁄8 inch) thick. Carefully transfer the dough to your prepared baking tray.
Spread the base of your pastry with the frangipane mix, leaving a 4–5 cm (1½–2 inch) border all around – the frangipane layer should be about 1.5 cm (5⁄8 inch) thick.
Top the frangipane with the drained pear halves, gently removing the stalks if they are still attached. Now bring the pastry edges in, pinching and folding them together at each corner.
For the egg wash, mix the egg and cream and use a pastry brush to brush this over the pastry edges. Sprinkle the pears with the extra caster sugar and bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature, with cream or ice cream.
Images and text from The Bakers Book edited by Ruby Goss, photography by Rochelle Eagle, illustrations by Beci Orpin. Murdoch Books RRP $45.00.’
You might also like: