Pear Almond Frangipane Tart

Equipment

• 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
• Food Processor
• Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Crust

• 145 g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 50 g fine almond flour
• 30 g granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 113 g (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into cubes
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cold water
• 
  

Filling

• 113g blanched or natural almond flour (toast in oven see notes below)
• 85g unsalted butter, room temperature (~6 tablespoons)
• 100g granulated sugar
• 16g all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) brandy
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
• 2 firm but ripe medium pears (330g), peeled, cored, and quartered
• Honey, for brushing (optional)

Directions

Making the Crust

1. Preheat oven to 375 (190 C) degrees.
2. Pulse all-purpose and almond flours, sugar and salt in a food processor work bowl until combined, about 30 seconds. Scatter the butter over the flour mixture and pulse another 15 seconds or so until shaggy.
3. Whisk the egg yolks with the water and pour into the food processor. Pulse a few seconds, just until the dough forms large chunks.
4. Dump the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removeable bottom. Press the dough evenly into bottom and up the sides of the pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes.
5. Put the tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake until the edges are set and lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Making the Filling & Tart

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350ºF (175ºC). Add almond flour to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Toast in oven, stirring every 3 minutes, until the almond flour is fragrant and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on low speed to roughly incorporate. Increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes, pausing to scrape down bowl and beater with a flexible spatula as needed. Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, egg, brandy (if using), almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on medium-high speed until smooth, thick, and creamy, pausing to scrape down bowl and beater halfway through, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, scrape bowl and beater to ensure that no streaks of unmixed butter remain. (The filling can also be prepared in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.)
3. Scrape almond filling into blind-baked tart shell and, using an offset spatula, spread it evenly from edge to edge to cover the bottom of the tart. Set aside.
4. Using a sharp knife, slice each pear quarter lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick slices, stopping 1/4 inch before the stem end to keep slices attached. Repeat with remaining pears. Using your hands or an offset spatula, gently lift sliced pears and set them on top of the almond filling, flattening and fanning them out. Repeat with remaining pears.
5. Bake until filling is a light golden brown and just firm to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes. (If the tart shell begins to darken too quickly, tent tart with foil and continue to bake.)
6. Remove from oven and, using a pastry brush, brush sliced pears with honey, if using. Let cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.

Inspired From:

• https://familystylefood.com/raspberry-almond-tart/
• https://www.seriouseats.com/pear-almond-tart-recipe-8765294