Old Time Pear Tart

My weekend in Daylesford! Food, wine, friendship and a challenge to bake something that I've always wanted to bake but hadn't yet...'Old Time Pear Tart'! This recipe was part of a 'Tarts and Pastry' demonstration class I went to at 'The Essential Ingredient Cooking School' conducted by pastry chef of 'Bakery D Chirico', Louis Vaussenat.

This French style tart has a beautiful rich buttery almond patee sablee short crust shell, with a creamy custard and caramelized pear filling and is topped off with ground cinnamon adding a perfect spicy smell and taste to the tart. I will definitely be making this superb classic sweet tart again and again.

A big thank you must go out to Bec (Kecca), for her help, the beautiful photo's she took of my creation and for the use of her kitchen...the best kitchen I've cooked in.

All in all a great weekend and a challenge successfully completed!

'Old Time Pear Tart' (made with almond pate sablee) - Louis Vaussenat
Makes 1 tart
100g pure icing sugar
300g eggs
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
500ml thickened cream
liqueur to taste optional
4 pears halved, poached in a light sugar syrup then cut into small pieces
100g castor sugar
2 tbls unsalted butter
1 tablespoon good quality honey
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (or you can use a few drops of vanilla essences)
300g almond pate sablee
cinnamon powder
icing sugar for decorating

Almond Pate Sablee - Makes 1 tart shell
300g butter, softened
200g pure icing sugar, sifted
300g eggs
500g plain flour, sifted
50g almond meal, sifted
5g salt

Mix together the butter, icing sugar and salt until combined and light. Incorporate the egg, a little at a time, then the flour with almond meal. If dough is still to sticky add a little more flour but don't overwork. Bring together to form a flat disk, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate over night to rest.

Light sugar syrup for poaching pears
1cup castor
3cups water
halved pears

Combine sugar and water in a large pot and heat on medium until sugar has dissolved. Add peeled and halved pears, reduce heat to low and gently poach the pears for about 15mins. Allow pears to cool in syrup before cutting into smallish pieces discarding stems and core.

Method
To make the vanilla cream - Place the icing sugar, eggs and vanilla seeds in a stainless steel bowl whisking to combine. Pour in the cream, whisking further to thicken. If desired, add liqueur to taste. Set aside until required.

To make the caramelised pears - Firstly poach the pears in a light sugar syrup (see recipe above). Melt butter in heavy based pan, add sugar and allow to caramelise until it becomes a light golden brown colour. Add the vanilla, honey and pears, continue to cook and caramelise a little further, then remove the pears from the caramel and set aside until ready to use.

To assemble the tart - Pre heat oven to 180c (fan forced). Roll out the rested pate sablee to 4mm thickness. Line and grease a cake ring or flan tin and bake for 20 minutes. Once par-cooked, set aside to coll. Reduce oven temperature to 150c.
Note - lip pastry over ring or tin so it does not shrink

Once cool, arrange the caramelised pears in the base of the pastry shell, top with the vanilla cream, filling the entire pastry shell. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder, then cook in the warmed oven for 40mins or until just set. Allow to cool before dusting with icing sugar.