Poached Pears And Almond Tart

These mini tarts are the perfect bite to serve at your next holiday party, with pears poached in classic winter spices, nestled in a classic almond tart and finished with a dollop of whipped cream. To make this recipe even easier, use your favourite pre-made pastry dough or tart shell. — Taryn Wa, culinary director of Savoury Chef Foods

Tart Shells:
1 ¼ cups (175 g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (200 g) powdered sugar
¼ tsp (1 mL) kosher salt
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, chilled and grated on a box grater
1 large egg yolk [22 g]
½ tsp (2 mL) vanilla extract
1 tbsp (14 g) heavy cream

Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

Add the butter and mix it with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal (this can also be done in a food processor, using the pulse setting). Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and heavy cream and mix to combine, continuing to mix until the dough comes together (dough may still be slightly crumbly).

Gather the dough into a disc. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Roll the dough out to about 1/8" (3 mm) thickness on a lightly floured work surface. Use a 3-inch (3 cm) round cutter to cut out rounds. Press the rounds into a greased mini muffin tin, or mini tart rings. Prick each piece of dough with a fork. Let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes

Bake the tarts until they are just set, about 12 to 14 minutes. Do not let them brown. Set aside and allow to cool.

Almond Filling (frangipane):
1/2 cup (114 g) unsalted butter
½ cup (150 g) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (47 g) all-purpose flour

2 large egg whites [50 g]
¼ cup (55 g) ground almonds
½ cup (125 mL) almond paste

Lower the oven temperature to 350 F.

Melt the butter and continue cooking until slightly browned.

In a medium bowl, cream together the powdered sugar, flour, almond paste, and almond meal until smooth. Add in the egg whites and stir until just combined. Add the browned butter and mix.

Divide the frangipane filling evenly between all of the tarts, smoothing out the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the filling is set and firm. Remove from oven and let cool.

Remove tarts from the muffin tin.

Poached Pears:
½ cinnamon stick
½ inch (1 cm) thick slice of ginger
1 slice of lemon peel
2 tbsp (24 g) sugar
1 cup (250 mL) water
4 medium sized pears, peeled, cored and diced

Combine the ginger, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil.
Add the pears and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the pears are cooked through and tender.
Remove from the poaching liquid and drain. Allow to cool. Divide the pears between each tart.

To finish:

½ cup (112 g) whipped cream
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon

Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, and dust with cinnamon.

Makes 24 tarts.

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