Pear Tart

Instructions

• 1. Make the tart crust
• Add plain flour, sugar, almond powder (or hazelnut flour) and salt in your food processor. Pulse several times to mix, then add butter and pulse until the mixture comes together. Add egg yolk and pulse again for a few seconds. Do not overmix after adding the egg yolk.
• 2. Transfer into a bowl and finish mixing with a spatula. Pull a sheet of saran wrap on your working surface. Transfer the dough and cover it from all sides with the wrap. Chill in the fridge until firm.
• 3. Take the dough out from the fridge and cut it in 2 halves. Take one of them and put the other back in the fridge for now. Place the dough on a saran wrap and cover it with a second one. Using a rolling pin, roll it out to a 3~4mm thickness.
• 4. Cut it out with a 18cm diameter x 5cm high ring, remove any excess dough around. Remove the ring and cover with a saran wrap. Put both aside in the fridge : the circle dough and the excess dough.
• 5. Butter the inside of the ring and set it aside. Take out the second half of dough from the fridge and cover it with saran wrap. Roll it out to 3 to 4mm thickness, then cut it with the same 18cm diameter ring. Remove the excess dough. Let the circle dough set in the fridge as is.
• 6. Put together all the excess dough and roll it out into a rectangle. We will use it to cover the sides of the mold. Before you cut it, first put it in the fridge until lightly firm : if it's too hard it will break easily. Cut a strip that fits the ring's height. Repeat until you cover all sides. If it becomes too soft, put it back in the fridge/freezer for a couple of minutes.
• 7. Smoothen the dough junctions with a finger wrapped in film, then let the whole thing chill until firm.
• 8. Meanwhile let's make the filling :
• In a frying-pan, add pear, lemon juice and brown sugar (no oil). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. I prefer not cooking them too much :)
• 9. Transfer the filling into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, add cinnamon powder and mix well. Set aside.
• 10. Now take the dough base (from #5) out of the fridge and cut off any excess over the ring top. Prick holes with a fork. Place the the bread (about 60g) on the bottom of the pie. Add the pear filling over the bread.
• 11. Cover with the other dough circle from #4. Bake about 50 to 55 minutes at 180℃.
• 12. Remove from the oven and let it cool down on the baking tray, until it cooled.
• 13. Once it has cooled, transfer on a wire rack. Remove the ring.
• 14. Ready to serve! I love adding a scoop of ice cream or simply whipped cream on each slice :-)