Poached Pear, Frangipane Tart

Great British Bake Off: The Beginning | Episode 3 | Show Stopper: Designer Fruit Tart

Original recipe from A Beautiful Plate.

This tart is a labor of love. There were so many firsts for me in making this tart. From making sweet tart dough, to poaching pears (let alone, anything!), and making and baking frangipane, it was all uncharted territory and it turned out wonderfully.

There are many steps to making this tart including making sweet tart dough with lemon zest mixed in, chilling the dough, peeling, coring, and poaching pears, blind baking the crust, making the frangipane, and assembling.

The original recipe called for a 10" tart pan and I used a 9" so I wasn't able to use a full pear that I had poached.

The other issue that I ran into as a result of using a smaller pan was that I used all of the frangipane and it rose up and took over some of the pear (and some spilled out of the pan in the oven.)

Frangipane is so interesting! I believe that it's technically a cream but it firms up and rises into a cake-like texture. It's delicious!

Ingredients

Tart Dough:

• 2 cups (240 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup (70 grams) granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 stick and 3 tablespoons (155 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Poached Pears:

• 6 cups (1.4 L) cold water

• 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 1 star anise pod (I actually couldn't find anise pods in my grocery store so I poached them without and they turned out just fine)

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 2 strips lemon peel (without the pith), plus half a lemon

• 3 pears

Frangipane filling:

• 1 stick (4 oz; 115 grams) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (115 grams) granulated sugar

• 1 cup (115 grams) almond flour

• 3 large whole eggs, room temperature

• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon dark rum

FOR SERVING

• powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

• lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the Tart Dough: Lightly grease a 10-inch (or 9-inch in my case) tart pan with a removable bottom and set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Pulse until well mixed. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse repeatedly until the butter is in very small, indistinguishable pieces. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and pulse until the dough just comes together. Knead the dough lightly on a clean countertop until it is completely smooth. Press the dough into the greased tart pan - it should be just under 1/4-inch thick, you should have some dough leftover - and chill in the fridge for a minimum of one hour, or freeze for at least 30 minutes.

2. Poach the Pears: As the tart dough is chilling, poach the pears. Combine the cold water and granulated sugar in a medium pot (roughly 3-quart capacity). Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise pod, vanilla extract, and lemon peel.

3. Peel the pears, leaving the stem on, and gently rub each pear with the lemon half to prevent the pears from oxidizing. Using melon baller or small paring knife, core the pears from the bottom end. Using a large spoon, gently lower the cored, whole pears into the poaching liquid. The poaching liquid should almost completely cover the pears.

4. Return the poaching liquid to a low simmer, cover the surface of the pot with a parchment round, and simmer the pears, occasionally flipping them during the cooking process, for about 12 to 15 minutes or until tender. Remember that you will be cooling the pears in the liquid, so do not overcook. You can test whether the pears are done by piercing the pear (through the bottom end) with a paring knife. The pears should be tender, yet not at all mushy.

5. Cool the pears to room temperature in the poaching liquid. Serve or transfer the pears to a large container and refrigerate for up to one week. The poaching liquid can be kept, discarded, or used to store the poached pears. Try reusing the liquid for poaching other pears or as a simple syrup in cocktails, etc.

6. Blind Bake the Tart Shell: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 C) with a rack in the center position. Lightly grease the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit it, buttered side down, against the chilled tart dough. Fill the foil with baking weights, dried beans, or popcorn kernels. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, and bake uncovered for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the shell is lightly golden brown and cooked through. Set tart pan on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the frangipane and poached pears.

7. Make the Frangipane Filling: Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand-held mixer). Beat over medium speed until creamy. Over low speed, add the almond flour, alternating with egg until the ingredients are incorporated evenly. Add the flour and mix to combine. Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and rum (if using) and mix until just combined. Use right away if the other tart components are ready, or transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

8. Assemble the Tart: Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Fill the pre-baked tart shell with the frangipane filling and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Place the poached pears on a few paper towels to help soak up any excess poaching liquid (this will help prevent it from seeping into the frangipane). Cut the poached pears in half, removing the stem and any core that might remain. Slice the pear halves crosswise into thin slices. Using a spatula, carefully lift each sliced pear half and place on the frangipane, with the narrow end of the pear facing the center of the tart, fanning the slices apart slightly as you work. Repeat with the remaining pear halves, spacing them evenly around the tart.

9. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 C) for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the frangipane has risen substantially around the pears and is deep golden brown in color. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool until lukewarm or room temperature before removing the sides of the tart pan.Before serving, dust lightly with powdered sugar. Serve plain or with whipped cream.