Ingredients
Pastry:
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1/2 cup (120 milliliters) butter, cold, cubed
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1-1/4 cups (300 milliliters) pastry flour, divided
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1/2 cup (120 milliliters) icing sugar
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3/4 cup (180 milliliters) finely ground blanched almonds
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1/4 teaspoon (1.25 milliliters) salt
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1 egg
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1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) almond extract
Filling:
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3 Bartlett pears
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1/4 cup (60 milliliters) butter
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1/4 cup (60 milliliters) white granulated sugar
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1 teaspoon (10 milliliters) cinnamon
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1 teaspoon (10 milliliters) minced fresh ginger
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Splash water
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2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) cornstarch
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3 tablespoons (30 milliliters) water
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1/8 teaspoon (0.75 milliliters) salt
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1 egg
Tart:
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3 Bartlett pears
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1/4 cup (60 milliliters) butter, melted
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Brown sugar, for sprinkling
To serve:
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Vanilla ice cream
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Candied ginger, finely chopped
Directions
Pastry:
- In a medium bowl, combine flour (reserve some for dusting), icing sugar, almonds, and salt, then mix in the butter by hand to a coarse, sandy texture.
- In a small bowl, beat together the egg and almond extract, then add to the bowl with the flour and butter.
- Remove the dough to a floured surface and mix until just combined. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.
- After resting, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 36 centimeter round that is about three millimeters thick.
- Transfer the rolled dough into a buttered, lined, 30 centimeter tart pan, and then trim and discard any excess dough. Place in the refrigerator to rest for one hour.
- After resting, use a fork to prick small holes evenly across the dough in the pan.
- Heat an oven to 375 F (190 C), then par-bake the dough for ten minutes. When finished set aside until ready for the final assembly.
Filling:
- Peel the pears, remove the cores and chop.
- Heat butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, add the chopped pears. Cook, stirring occasionally, for eight to ten minutes.
- Add white sugar and cook for three to four minutes. Add the cinnamon, ginger, and salt, and cook for two minutes. Add a splash of water and continue cooking for one minute until everything comes together and starts to soften.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and mix until well dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the filling and cook for one minute or until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the filling from the heat and transfer to a food processor, process until smooth. When finished, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
- When cool, add the egg and mix well. Set aside until ready for final assembly.
Tart:
- Spread filling evenly into the par-baked crust.
- Peel the pears, remove the cores, and cut in half lengthwise. Cut the halves into thin, even, half-moon slices.
- Arrange the sliced pears across the top of the tart by layering them, overlapping, into a series of neat, concentric circles. Brush the sliced pears with melted butter, then sprinkle lightly with brown sugar.
- Bake the tart for thirty to forty-five minutes, or until the filling sets and the pears are a light golden brown.
To serve:
- Slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream scooped on top, with a few pieces of candied ginger sprinkled over the ice cream.
