Saffron & Pear Tart

As classic as they come - pears poached in a vanilla syrup, fanned across a fluffy almond cream (frangipane) on top a salty, nutty crust. The syrup can be flavored with saffron (as shown here), sherry (did this my 2nd time I made this!) or even herbs

Classic French Pear & Frangipane Tart

Recipe by Hermine from GBBO 2020

Ingredients for the short pastry:
180g unsalted butter
100g icing/powdered sugar
45g almond flour
4 large eggs
300g bread flour
7g salt (original recipe calls for 6g)
1 tsp vanilla extract/paste

Ingredients for frangipane cream:
125g unsalted butter, at room temp
125g icing/powdered sugar
125g almond flour
1 tsp vanilla extract/paste
2 large eggs
20g bread flour
1 tbsp cognac, rum, or brandy

Ingredients for poached pear:
4 pears
525g caster sugar (or granulated)
700g water
1 vanilla pod
optional: 2 healthy pinches of saffron or substitute 1/2 cup of sherry for the water

Recipe summary: Cream butter, salt, and sugar. Add the egg until combined. Add almond flour & vanilla. Add flour just until combined. Pour the crumbled dough onto parchment paper and pack into a ball. Smash into a flat disc and reserve in the fridge until firm (10-20 minutes). When ready to bake, roll out to a 3mm thickness. Line an 11cm tart pan; use a fork to make holes in the bottom of the crust; cover with parchment paper and weigh down with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 180C/360F for 15 minutes.

For frangipane, cream butter and sugar until soft. Add egg and mix well. Stir in almond flour, vanilla, and rum. Stir in flour until just combined and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the poached pear: Add water to a pot and dissolve sugar over medium high heat. Add vanilla beans pods, either chopped into large pieces, or scraped open (adding both beans and pod). Bring to a simmer. Peel, core, and halve the pears. Gently add to the simmering syrup for 15 minutes, or until they are tender but still hold their shape. Reduce the syrup and set aside to cool and thicken.

Assembly: fill the tart with the frangipane, about 3/4 full. Finely slice the pears and fan them across the top of the frangipane. Bake at 170C/350F for 25 minutes or until the tart is golden brown. Glaze the tart with the leftover syrup.