The perfect pudding to serve over Christmas. Made with traditional seasonal Christmas it makes a great alternative to Christmas pudding.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
Pastry:
100 (4 oz) butter, cut into cubes
225g (8 oz) plain flour
25g (1 oz) icing sugar, sieved
1 egg, beaten
Or use 500g (18 oz) pack of bought shortcrust pastry if time is short.
Filling:
175g (6 oz) soft butter
175g (6 oz) caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
175g (6 oz) ground almonds
40g (1½ oz) plain flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
6–8 fresh, ripe Williams pears, peeled, cored and halved
4tbsp mincemeat
To Finish:
Apricot jam, melted and sieved, for glaze
25g (1 oz) flaked almonds, toasted
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 160°C.
Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the beaten egg and bring together to form a dough. Chill for 30 minutes until manageable.
Cream the butter and sugar together, then gradually add the beaten eggs (do not worry if it looks curdled at this stage). Add the ground almonds, flour and almond extract. Mix until well incorporated. Leave this mixture in the fridge until required.
Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured work surface and line a flan tin 30cm (12in) in diameter, about 2.5cm (1in) deep. Chill for a further 30 minutes.
Spread a thin layer of mincemeat in the base of the tart. Spoon the frangipane mixture into the pastry case and level the top using a small palette knife.
Carefully slice the pears in half and de-core. Then finely slice them, leaving the thin end attached so that you can fan the pear out. Arrange the fanned pear halves, cut side down, on the filling. Be sure to leave enough room between them to allow the frangipane mixture to rise.
Lift the tin on to a baking sheet and bake on the floor of the oven until pale golden, about 15–20 minutes. Then transfer to the centre shelf of the oven until set and golden brown, another 15–20 minutes.
Allow the tart to cool slightly, brush with hot apricot glaze and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds. Serve warm with cream.
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