Rose Pear Tart
Degree of difficulty: medium but can make ahead of time before serving
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes stovetop plus 20 minutes baking
Makes 6 tarts
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6 very firm corella pears (I like them because they're very firm and small so ideal for the tart size but use Beurre Bosc if you want to make a large single tart)
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1.5 cups red wine
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2/3 cup white sugar
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1 cinnamon stick
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3 sheets puff pastry
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1 egg beaten
For frangipane almond filling
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1/2 cup almond meal
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1/4 cup white sugar
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35g/1ozs butter, very soft
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1 egg
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a few drops rosewater
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1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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2 teaspoons orange or mandarin zest
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pinch of salt
For clear glaze and to decorate
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1/4 cup caster or superfine sugar
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1/4 cup water
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1/2 sheet titanium strength gelatine
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1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
Step 1 - Place the red wine, sugar, cinnamon stick and zests onto the heat to boil in a pot that fits all of the pears snugly upright. Meanwhile peel the pears well making sure that you get all of the skin off (the skin that remains won't colour). By the time you've finished peeling, your wine should be boiling. Add the pears and cook turning three or four times for 8 minutes if Corella pears and 12 minutes if Beurre Bosc pears (check as it also depends on how big your pears are).
Step 2 - Remove the pears as soon as they are done to prevent further cooking (you don't want them to become soft). Take a knife or a mandolin on setting two and slice the pear to get thin rounds and set aside.
Step 3 - Meanwhile, make the frangipane filling by mixing all of the ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.
Step 4 - Thaw out pastry and cut out 12 large rounds. Line two baking trays with parchment and sandwich two rounds together by brushing one round with the beaten egg. Brush the top round with the egg too. Using a slightly smaller round cutter, press lightly to indent one of the pastry rounds to form a border and spread a little (just over a teaspoon) of the frangipane inside.
Step 5 - Layer the pear on top of the franipane filling starting from the outside going in to make a rose shape. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and the pastry has risen (it will deflate when it comes out of the oven.
Step 6 - Make glaze by boiling the sugar and water for a few minutes until you get a syrup. Soften the gelatine sheet by soaking for a few minutes in cold water. Squeeze the excess water from the sheets and melt in the sugar syrup. Cool for a few minutes and then brush over tarts to give them a shiny look and then decorate with finely chopped pistachios.