Title: Pear Almond Tart
Categories: Dessert Blank
Yield: 1 10" tart

PASTRY
1 1/2	c	Unbleached flour
2	tb	Sugar
1	pn	Salt
1	pn	Ground cloves
1/2	ts	Grated lemon peel
1/4	lb	Butter
1		Egg yolk
5	tb	Ice water
		Butter; softened
GLAZE
1/2	c	Apricot preserves
2	tb	Dark rum
FILLING
1/2	c	Finely ground almonds
1/2	c	Sugar
1	tb	Flour
9		Firm, ripe pears - (preferably Anjou) - peeled, halved lengt

To make pastry, put dry ingredients and lemon peel in bowl of food processor fitted with metal chopping blade; process just to mix. Add butter and cut into small pieces; process just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk; process just until blended. With processor running, quickly add ice water. Process several seconds until pastry forms ball. Stop at once to avoid overmixing. Wrap ball in plastic wrap; chill at least one hour.

Butter a 10-inch quiche pan with a removable bottom. Roll pastry out slightly larger than pan. Carefully lift pastry to pan and gently press against bottom and sides. Trim edges; prick bottom and sides with fork. Chill for 1/2 hour.

Line pastry-filled pan with a circle of foil, pressing it gently against pastry. Fill liner with uncooked rice or dried beans to weight. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven 15 minutes. Lift out liner with rice or beans (save for future pastry baking). Bake crust 5 minutes longer; cool on rack.

To make glaze, heat preserves and rum over low heat, stirring. Strain, brush tart shell with 2 tablespoons glaze. Reserve remainder.

To make filling, stir together almonds, sugar, and flour; sprinkle over glazed shell. Slice 12 pear halves crosswise. (Do not separate the slices. ~KM) Place sliced halves in circle over almond mixture in shell. Chop remaining pear halves, use to fill spaces between sliced pears.

Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven 40 minutes. Remove from oven, brush with remaining warm glaze.

Serve at room temperature.

Source: Entertaining - by Martha Stewart Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

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