Very French Pears

Frangipani…

Just like my experience with needing to make Apple pancakes, I also had three pears which I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to eat raw!

I really am very naughty when it comes to eating fruit when it’s fresh!

Anyway these pears were still perfectly fine, but they were a good excuse to indulge in what we call in the antipodes frangipani tart, but in France it is known as tarte aux poires Bourdaloue – that is Bourdaloue style pear tart.

The French know best!

One of my good friends and colleagues (my colleagues often get to eat my baking) is an antiglutenite, and as this tart otherwise has no flour in it, it seemed sensible to make the crust with rice flour.  Rice flour is a key ingredient in shortbread and gives the crust a wonderful crisp bite.

Although there are three components to the tart, it really is very easy to do. The pastry can be made in a food processor, and in fact I recommend that all pastry be made in the food processor because it’s really very fast and not messy and also for pastry is important to keep the ingredients cold which means that you never have to touch it with your warm hands.

As to the filling which we were commonly call frangipani, this is an equal combination of almond meal, butter and sugar, which is beaten until it is very light and fluffy before the addition of eggs. A small quantity of cornflour goes into the mix and it was really to use (if you are making a gluten free tart, remember to use maize based cornflour not wheat based cornflour). The filling is then transferred into the unbaked pastry case and levelled with an offset spatula. Don’t worry if the filling is much shallower the top of your pastry, it will rise when baking.

Note: my frangipani mixture will look a little darker than yours as I used half and half almond and hazelnut meal… My cupboard wasn’t as replete as it usually is!

The pears are peeled and quartered or halved (I quartered mine), and poached in a light sugar syrup flavoured with vanilla and treated with lemon juice to stop the pears from going brown. Once poached, the pears need to be chilled completely before placed on the filling, because the high butter content of the filling will cause the filling to melt if it comes in contact with anything warm.

Once the pears are cold, they can either be placed on top of the filling whole, they can be sliced and fanned as I have done in my tart. To make the fanned effect, place the pears on a chopping board and slice them thinly (about 2 mm per cut) across the width of the pear. Carefully transfer the cut pear to an offset spatula, and using your fingers press gently on the cut fruit to encourage the slices to fan out. If you press in the direction from thin end to the bulbous end, this causes the fruit to fan in an attractive direction. With each sliced pear still on the offset spatula, transfer it to the unbaked filling. Distribute the fanned pears evenly around surface of the tart.

Sprinkle the tart with flaked almonds, and you’re ready to bake!

Tarte aux poires Bourdaloue – Pear frangipani tart – gluten free

Pastry

1 1/2 cups rice flour
125g cold unsalted butter, cubed
5-6 tbsp iced water

In a food processor, or with your hands, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Sprinkle over ice water and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix, because this makes the pastry tough!

Gather the mixture into a ball. Roll out between two layers of baking paper until about 40 cm round. Line a 23 cm round tart tin with the pastry. Prick the pastry well, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Almond frangipani filling

250 g unsalted butter, softened
250 g sugar
250 g almond meal
3 large eggs
30g maize cornflour
3-4 tbsp flaked almonds, extra

Combined the butter sugar and almond meal and the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a K or paddle attachment. Beat on high-power for about five minutes until the mixture is extremely light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined. Mix in the almond meal and the cornflour. Transfer the mixture into the unbaked pastry case. Smooth with an offset spatula.

Poached pears

3 pears, peeled and halved or quartered
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp powdered vanilla beans or 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
water, to cover

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, and simmer for about five minutes, or until just soft. Carefully drain the fruit, reserving 1/2 cup of liquid and transferred to a bowl to chill.

When cold, slice and fan the fruit or transfer directly to the top of the filling. Sprinkle flaked almonds on uncovered filling.

Bake the tart for about 50 minutes at 175°C, or until filling is set in the center. When cold, glaze if desierd.

Glaze