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Pear-Almond Tart

If your almond paste isn’t very fragrant with the smell of almonds, add a drop or two of pure almond extract to the filling. You don’t want to dump a spoonful in, which would overwhelm the pears, but a tiny bit highlights the almond flavors. You can use canned pear halves packed in light syrup, and drain them well, in place of the poached pears, if you wish.
  • 6 ounces (170g) almond paste
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons flour
  • 3 ounces (85g) butter, salted or unsalted, cubed, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg, plus one egg white, at room temperature
  • a few drops almond extract, optional
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons rum, Calvados, or kirsch
  • 3 poached pears, cored, drained and blotted dry, then cut into 1/2-inch (2 cm) slices
  • One pre-baked 9-inch (23 cm) tart shell, at room temperature
  • Preheat the oven to 375F (180C). Set the pre-baked tart shell on a baking sheet.
  • In a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the almond paste with the sugar and flour, until smooth. Some almond pastes may be drier than others. If yours is dry, just mix until the almond paste is finely-broken up.
  • Gradually beat in the butter, until smooth, then beat in the egg and the egg white, the almond extract, and the liquor.
  • Spread the almond filling evenly over the tart shell
  • Fan the pears out evenly over the almond filling, then press them in slightly.
  • Bake the tart for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the almond filling between the pears has browned.
  • Cool slightly before serving, or serve at room temperature. Glaze, as desired.

Notes

Variations: To make a Pear & Cherry Almond Tart, embed 25 candied cherries, sweet or sour, into the almond paste, before you fan the pears out over it. I advise against using very sweet store-bought candied cherries, although the Fabbri ones from Italy are scrumptious.
Another variation is to sprinkle the tart with 3 tablespoons of sliced almonds before baking.
You can also use poached quince in place of the pears.
Note: I’m a fan of Love’n Bake almond paste, which is produced by a company that makes almond paste for professionals. However I’ve used brands available in supermarkets, which are fine to use.
Storage: The almond filling can be made up to one week before and kept refrigerated. It can also be frozen, for up to one month. Once baked, the tart can be kept at room-temperature, covered, for up to three days.