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Pear Almond Tart

Used with permission from the new cookbook Vancouver Cooks 2

Alterations should be made to fit with your dietary needs. Please consult with your medical team before you attempt to make this recipe.

Pear Almond Tart: Serves 8 Shortbread 1/3 cup sugar 3/4 cup butter Pinch of salt 1 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour 1 egg, beaten, only half of which may be needed Black Currant Jam 1/2 cup black currant purée 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar Almond Cream 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp (7 oz) unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp icing sugar 1 1/2 cups blanched ground almonds 2 tbsp cornstarch 2 large eggs, beaten 2 to 3 tbsp slivered almonds for garnish cinnamon for dusting Kalamansi-poached Pears 2 2/3 cups sugar 12 cups water 1 piece star anise 2 vanilla beans, slit lengthwise 1/2 cup kalamansi puree 5 bartlett pears

• Shortbread
• Cream together sugar, butter and salt in a bowl.
• Addflour without overmixing the dough.
• Add only enough egg, mixing gently, to hold the dough together.
• Gather the dough into a ball and flatten, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
• Black Currant Jam
• Combine black currant purée and sugar in a pot on medium-high heat.
• Bring to a boil, stir and remove from the heat.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discard solids and allow to cool before using.
• Almond Cream
• Have all of the ingredients at room temperature.
• Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to cream together butterand sugar.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer.
• Combine ground almonds and cornstarch in another bowl.
• Alternately add almond mixture and beaten eggs to the butter mixture, stirring just until combined.
• kalamansi-poached Pears
• To make the poaching liquid, pour sugar into a heavy pot on medium heat and do not stir.
• As the sugar begins to caramelize, shake and swirl the pan gently to prevent the sugar from burning in any one spot.
• Once the sugar has melted into a rich caramel brown, deglaze the pan slowly and carefully with water, as the mixture will splatter.
• Stir until sugar is totally dissolved.
• Add star anise, vanilla beans and kalamansi puree.
• Peel and core pears, add to the poaching liquid, then simmer until tender.
• Remove from the heat and place a plate over the pears to keep them submerged in the poaching liquid as they cool.
• To Assemble
• Preheat the oven to 325f.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out shortbread dough into a circle 111/2 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick.
• Use it to line a 9-inch tart pan (with removable bottom).
• Cut off excess dough and crimp around the edge
• Pipe or spread black currant jam on the bottom of the tart.
• Next, pipe or spread a layer of almond cream to within three-quarters of the top.
• Cut poached pears in half, then slice each half vertically into about eight pieces.
• Keeping the slices together, arrange pears on top of almond cream to cover.
• Sprinkle the top with slivered almonds and a dusting of cinnamon.
• Bake in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the centre of the tart is set.
• Remove from the oven.
• To Serve
• Serve the tart at room temperature.
• Cut into eight wedges and place each on a warmed serving plate.
• Wine
• Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards Winery Riesling Icewine or Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Proprietor’s Reserve Riesling icewine

Thomas Haas creator of this recipe suggests if you cannot find black currant purée, use huckleberries or organic blueberries. Combine 1 cup berries with 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar in a pot on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stir and remove from the heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding solids. Kalamansi is a small citrus fruit similar to lime mixed with tangerine. The purée is sold at Filipino grocers. If you can’t find it, use lime juice.

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