Croom Mills is a vibrant, fully operational corn-grinding mill located on the banks of the River Maigue in Croom, County Limerick. It is thought to be one of the finest grain mill restoration projects in Ireland. The visitor center not only pays tribute to an era of country life in Ireland’s Golden Vale, but it also houses two restaurants, the Mill Race and Harvest Restaurant, and has recently added a pub, the Miller’s Inn, which serves snacks, light food, and delicious desserts like this tart made with pears and almonds. The recommended accompaniment: a generous scoop of freshly whipped cream.
SERVES 8 TO 10
CRUST
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
2 large eggs
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
FILLING
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter at room temperature
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup finely ground almonds
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon almond extract
⅓ cup apricot preserves
2 firm-ripe Bartlett or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch slices
Whipped cream for serving (optional)
1 To start the crust: Combine the flour, butter, and sugar in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse 8 to 10 times, or until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the eggs and 4 tablespoons of the water, and process for 15 to 20 seconds, or until the dough comes together. Add the remaining tablespoon of water if necessary. Turn out the dough on a work surface, form it into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling.
2 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3 To start the filling: Cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the almonds, flour, and almond extract.
4 Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the dough to a circle 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to the prepared pan, fold in the excess dough, and press with your fingers to form thick sides. In a small saucepan or in a microwave oven, heat the apricot preserves until runny. Spread the preserves over the crust.
5 Pour the custard into the crust. Starting in the center, arrange the pear slices in concentric circles over the custard. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the custard is puffed and browned and the pears are tender. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Cool the tart in the pan completely before releasing the side. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
In the pub and restaurant at O’Donovan’s Hotel in Clonakilty, County Cork, chef Angela Brennan calls a similar recipe a Bakewell Tart. Legend has it that the original Bakewell tart was the result of a mistake made by the cook at the Rutland Arms in Bakewell (Derbyshire, England), who, instead of adding butter, eggs, and sugar to the pastry, made them into a filling instead. Follow the recipe as described above, substituting raspberry jam for the apricot preserves and omitting the ground almonds and pears. When the tart is cool, sprinkle the top with confectioners’ sugar.
