Almond Pear Tartlets Recipes

ALMOND PEAR TART

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10-in. circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. , In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar and flour; add pears and toss to coat. Spoon over the crust to within 2 in. of edges. Fold up edges of crust over filling, leaving center uncovered. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. , Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Sprinkle with almonds; bake 5 minutes longer. Using the parchment, slide tart onto a wire rack to cool.

PEAR-ALMOND TARTLETS

Steps:

• Combine water and sugar in medium skillet. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add pear halves, cover and simmer 6 minutes. Turn pears over; simmer until just tender, about 6 minutes longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. If necessary, boil syrup until reduced to 3 tablespoons; reserve.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line large baking sheet with foil. Roll out pastry on floured surface to 17 x 11-inch rectangle (scant 1/8 inch thick). Cut into six 4 1/2 x 5 1/2-inch rectangles (reserve remainder for another use). Cut off 1/2-inch-wide strip from each long side of rectangles, then cut off 1/2-inch-wide strip from each short side. Brush strips with egg glaze. Place 2 long strips, glazed side down, atop long edges of each rectangle. Place short strips, glazed side down, atop short edges; trim to fit.
• Transfer pastries to prepared baking sheet. Top each pastry with 2 slices almond paste. Thinly slice each pear half crosswise; fan slightly. Place 1 pear half in center of each pastry, arranging to fit.
• Bake tartlets until crusts are golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer to plates. Rewarm reserved syrup; brush over pears. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PEAR AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl cream butter with sugar until fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in egg. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Mix in brandy and vanilla. Add almond and all-purpose flours. Mix until creamy. Cover and refrigerate. Place almond filling into tart shell, spread level. Cut poached pear halves crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Reshape pear halves and arrange 8 halves around the top of each tart, "spoke" fashion. Press pears lightly to fan out. Bake for 40 minutes or until top is well browned and filling is springy to the touch. Cool and serve at room temperature.
• Note: To poach pears, peel, core and halve pears, place in a pot with 1 3/4 cups white wine, 3/4 cup water, 4 ounces of sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, vanilla bean split, and 4 black pepper corns. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer, cook for 30 minutes or until pears are tender when pricked. Cool in liquid.
• In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar and salt, cut in butter until it resembles small pebbles. With a mixer running add vanilla and slowly drizzle in water until dough comes together in a sticky mass. Roll into a ball, wrap and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours before rolling. Roll shell to fit into a 9-inch tart pan. Set aside.;