French Pear Frangipane Tarte
While vacationing in Paris, I fell in love with the delicious fruit tarts. Here is my whole grain, sugar-free version with a fragrant frangipane filling made in the classic tradition using finely ground almonds. Now you can indulge and feel great afterwards. C’est magnifique.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 12
Ingredients
FILLING
TOPPING
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Step 2
To make the filling, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and agave nectar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat again. Add almond meal, almond extract, and Kirsch. Beat well. Pour into the prebaked tart crust.
Step 3
To make the topping, peel and halve the pears, drizzling with the lemon juice as you go to keep them from turning brown. Slice each pear half into thin slices, keeping them together at the stem end (do not cut through). Fan out the pears slightly and place each over the filling in a circular pattern. Drizzle the agave nectar over the pears and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until they turn a light golden brown.
Step 4
Warm the apricot jam in a saucepan over low heat and brush or drizzle over the pears. Let the tart cool slightly. It’s best served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
VARIATION
Step 5
Apricot Frangipane Tart: When in season, substitute fresh ripe apricots for the pears for a special treat. Depending on the size, 8 to 10 apricots should be sufficient to cover a 10-inch tart. Cut the apricots in half and place, cut sides down, over the filling. Bake as directed above.
