November 2024 - Jason’s Pear, Chocolate and Almond Tart with Vin Santo and Clotted Cream

Serves 12-16

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry:

100g Butter

100g Icing Sugar

1/2 Lemon, juiced with zest finely grated

2 Eggs

320g Plain Flour

Poached Pears:

5 Conference Pears, peeled, cored and quartered lengthways

200ml Vin Santo

1/2 Lemon, juiced with zest peeled as thin ribbons

100g Sugar

3 Cloves

1 Cinnamon Quill

25g Flaked Almonds, toasted

Frangipane:

200g Dark Chocolate, brown into small chunks

250g Butter

250g Caster Sugar

4 Eggs

250g Ground Almonds

30g Plain Flour

1/2 Tspn Baking Powder

Glaze and Accompaniment:

2 Tblspn Apricot Jam

2 Tblspn Water

227g Clotton Hall Dairy Clotted Cream

Method

1. Start by making the pastry - Cream the butter and sugar with the lemon zest and juice until very pale

2. Gradually add the eggs and half the flour while continuing to gently mix

3. Add the rest of the flour without overworking, but until you have a smooth pastry

4. Press the pastry into the shape of a thick disc, then wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour

5. Preheat the oven to 170°C

6. Meanwhile, prepare the poached pears - Put all ingredients except the flaked almonds in a stainless steel pan and top up with water to cover the pears

7. Bring the pears to a rolling boil then turn down to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes

8. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the poaching syrup

9. While the pears are cooling, make the frangipane - Cream together the butter and sugar until very pale

10. Slowly add the eggs while continuing to beat the butter and sugar

11. Once all the egg is thoroughly combined with the butter and sugar, slowly fold in the ground almonds, flour and baking powder and set aside

12. Grease a 12 inch shallow flan ring and line a baking sheet with baking parchment

13. Remove the pastry from the fridge and rollout on a clean, lightly floured surface

14. Line the flan ring, gently pushing the pastry into the edges of the flan ring while leaving any excess pastry to overhang the edges of the flan ring

15. Evenly distribute the chunks of dark chocolate on the raw pastry base, then place in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes

16. Remove the pastry from the oven and use a spatula to thinly spread the chocolate in an even layer

17. Gently spoon the frangipane into the flan case and carefully spread it to cover the chocolate layer

18. Arrange all but four quarters of the pear around the top of the tart, gently nestling them into the frangipane mix

19. Place the tart in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm in the centre

20. Meanwhile, dice the remaining pear quarters and add back to the pan of poaching syrup with the toasted almond flakes

21. Put the pan on a high heat and bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the compote until thick and syrupy, but without caramelising, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature

22. In a fresh pan gently heat the apricot jam and water until it forms a smooth glaze

23. Remove the tart form the oven and allow to cool slightly, before using a pastry brush to glaze the top of the frangipane

24. When the tart is at room temperature, trim the overhanging pastry and portion into 16 slices

25. Serve at room temperature with a spoonful of the pear and almond syrup and a quenelle of clotted cream

26. Enjoy!