Ingredients
Tart Shell:
- 14 Tablespoon (198 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (58 g ) powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Frangipane Filling:
- ⅓ cup (3.5 oz/99 g) almond paste
- 3 Tablespoon ( 38 g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoon (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoon (16 g ) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Topping:
- 3 ripe medium-sized Bartlett pears*
- sliced almonds, to top
- turbinado sugar, to top
Instructions
Tart Shell:
- In a KITB stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add egg and egg yolk. Mix until well incorporated.
- Add flour and salt. Mix on low speed just until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour. Gently press the dough together. Divide into two equal parts and pat into flat discs. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- When ready to roll out the dough, place one disc on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax paper). Roll into a circle about 11 inches in diameter.
- Gently transfer the dough to a 9.5-inch or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Use your fingers to press dough against the sides and bottom of the pan. Trim the overhang dough along the edges. Dock the bottom of the tart. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge while the oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 375°25F. Remove plastic wrap from the tart. Line tart with parchment paper or aluminum foil and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights. Bake for another 6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare filling.
Frangipane Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a KITB food processor fitted with blade attachment, combine almond paste, sugar, and butter. Pulse until well blended. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add eggs one at a time, pulsing until incorporated. Add vanilla, salt, baking powder, and flour. Process until mixture is smooth.
Assembly and Topping:
- Pour filling into the cooled tart shell.
- Peel pears. Slice in half lengthwise and core. Slice pear halves crosswise into thin slices. Slightly fan pear slices apart. Use a mini offset spatula to carefully transfer fanned pears atop the filled tart shell. Repeat with remaining pear halves, spacing pears equally apart in the tart shell.
- Sprinkle sliced almonds and turbinado sugar, as desired. Bake for 38-40 minutes until the filling center no longer jiggles. Allow tart to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. If desired, dust tart with powdered sugar before serving.