Pear Frangipane Tart

I still haven't been able to make a truly nice 9" pear tart to date, so here's my next attempt.

Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Dough

- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 1 stick + 1 Tbsp cold butter

1. Using a stand mixer (or food processor), mix dry ingredients together.
2. Then add in butter, cut into small chunks. Mix until it resembles coarse meal.
3. Add in egg, slightly beaten. Dough will come together.
4. Chill in refrigerator for 1/2 before using.
5. Place into tart pan; pierce with fork.
6. Freeze for 1 hour (this is the unshrinkable part). Don't need pie weights!
7. Cover with buttered aluminum foil, pressing against the crust.
   
8. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Frangipane

- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 stick softened butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp AP Flour
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 large eggs

1. Mix together, adding in almond extract and eggs last.
2. Add into tart shell.

Pear Poaching

- 6 ripe (but still firm) Bartlett pears
- red/white wine
- fresh lemon juice
- a little sugar

1. Peel pears, remove stems, de-pit. Slice in half.
   
2. Poach pears for 10-15 minutes, or soft all the way through (test with toothpick).
3. Save poaching liquid.
   

Tart Assembly

1. Slice poached pears and lay them carefully in a symmetrical pattern. I over-poached my pears, so I first moved the entire half-pear into the tart dish, then sliced them in the pan.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes.
3. Make a glaze using the poaching liquid, instead of with apricot preserves. Add a little cornstarch to the poaching liquid, bring to a rolling boil, bring down to low, then turn off. Liquid should have thickened sufficiently into a jam like state.

With a piece eaten from it...

I'm reasonably happy with the way the tart turned out.