Spiced pear tart

PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINS (+ REFRIGERATION) SERVES 8

1¼ cups (125g) hazelnut meal

(ground hazelnuts)

2 cups (300g) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt flakes

¾ cup (165g) caster sugar,

plus 2 tbsp extra

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

1 tsp finely grated orange rind

200g unsalted butter, chilled,

chopped

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 egg

2 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cinnamon stick

1/3 cup (80ml) cold water

4 semi-ripe pears, peeled,

cored, cut into 2cm pieces

1 cup (80g) flaked natural

almonds

1 tbsp icing sugar

1 Combine the hazelnut meal,

our, baking powder, salt, sugar and lemon and orange rinds in a bowl. Using your ngertips, rub the butter into the our mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

2 In a small bowl, whisk the vanilla bean paste and egg together, then add to the our mixture, stirring to combine. Work the mixture to a soft dough and press into a attened disc. Enclose in cling lm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3 Combine the orange and lemon juice, the extra 2 tablespoons of sugar, cinnamon stick and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Add the pears, cooking over medium heat, stirring gently, for 7 minutes or until the pears are tender. Remove from heat and drain pears over a bowl, reserving the syrup. Discard the cinnamon stick.

4 Grease a 19cm x 27cm rectangular loose-based an tin. Roll two-thirds of the dough between two sheets of baking paper into a rectangle a little larger than the tin.

Press into prepared pan, trim the edges and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add pastry scraps to reserved pastry, enclose in cling lm and refrigerate.

5 Preheat oven to 180°C. Arrange the pear pieces over the base of tart. Top with the almonds, then crumble small pieces of the reserved pastry over the top. Bake on the lower shelf for 45 minutes or until browned.

6 Add the reserved pear juices to a small saucepan and boil until a thickened syrup.

7 Just before serving, dust the tart with icing sugar and serve drizzled with the pear syrup.

The reserved pastry also becomes an easy crumble for the top of this tart – try to keep the pieces similar-sized so it cooks evenly.

To trim the excess pastry from the side of the tin, roll a lightly floured rolling pin over the top of the pan – you will have perfect edges!