Pear & cardamom tart

Aromatic cardamom is often found in savoury dishes, but here it updates classic frangipane to perfectly complement the pears.

SERVES 8 PREP 40 mins plus chilling COOK 1 hr 25 mins MORE EFFORT

500g sweet shortcrust pastry flour, for dusting

4 small ripe pears, peeled, halved and cored squeeze of lemon juice drizzle of honey

For the cardamom frangipane 200g butter, softened 200g caster sugar

140g ground almonds 100g self-raising flour 50g flaked almonds, toasted, plus extra for sprinkling

1 tsp ground cardamom 2 large eggs

1 Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface until big enough to line an 18 x 28cm tart tin or 23cm round tart tin. Use it to line the tin, leaving any extra hanging over the sides. Prick the base with a fork, put the tin on a baking sheet and chill for 30 mins.

2 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans. Bake for 15 mins, then remove the beans and parchment and bake for a further 10 mins until the pastry is golden. Reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and trim the pastry edges.

3 To make the frangipane, beat all the ingredients together with an electric whisk. Spoon into the pastry case and spread evenly. Brush the pears with a little lemon juice and arrange over the top, pushing them slightly into the frangipane. Scatter over some extra flaked almonds and bake for 50 mins until the filling is risen, golden and firm to the touch. Serve the tart warm or cold, drizzled with a little honey.

PER SERVING 833 kcals • fat 55g • saturates 21g • carbs 78g • sugars 43g • fibre 4g • protein 12g • salt 0.81g