Frangipane is made by grinding nuts and eggs together to make something between a cookie and a custard. Use this basic recipe, varying the type of nuts and the flavorings, as a filling for all kinds of fruit tarts.
6 SERVINGS
|
Pastry for a 9-inch tart (see recipe) |
½ |
pound blanched almonds |
⅔ |
cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling |
3 |
large eggs |
1 |
tablespoon oloroso or other sweet sherry |
2 |
teaspoons vanilla extract |
¼ |
teaspoon salt |
2 |
tablespoons unsalted butter |
2 |
teaspoons grated orange zest |
1 |
tablespoon apple cider vinegar |
3 |
Bartlett pears (½ pound each) |
1 |
tablespoon unsalted butter, melted |
Prepare the pastry and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees and place a baking sheet on a low rack. In a food processor, grind the almonds, ⅔ cup sugar, eggs, sherry, vanilla, salt, 2 tablespoons butter and the orange zest to make a smooth, slightly flowing paste.
Fill a large bowl about one-third full with water and add the apple cider vinegar. Peel the pears and cut them in half lengthwise. Using a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works best), remove the vein for the stem and the seed pit. As you finish each pear half, slip it into the bowl. Make sure there is enough water to cover all the pears.
Spread the almond mixture on the bottom of the pastry, using the back of a spoon to spread it evenly. Pat each pear half dry and carefully cut it into thin crosswise slices, keeping the pear in its original form. (This will take some time at first, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly.) As you finish each pear, flatten it slightly, lightly pushing down against the cutting board and toward the base of the pear. Lift it, using the flat of the knife as a spatula, and carefully place it in the tart pan, with the narrow stem end toward the center. Place each subsequent pear slice next to the previous one in a spoke pattern until the tart is filled. Brush the pears with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
Place the tart pan on the heated baking sheet and bake until the almond mixture is puffed and golden and the pears are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve at room temperature.