French Pear Tart

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by the woman behind the name herself - Dorie Greenspan. I believe this is the first time she's thrown in a suggestion for a recipe, and I think it's wonderful that she's taken an active role in this fan/baking group.

I spent a bit more time on this recipe than was probably necessary - blanching the almonds and poaching the pears myself. However, I hadn't done either until today, so they're good things to have learned. I also had some leftover ground almonds (non-blanched) from a previous recipe, so I took Dorie's suggestion and made a nutty tart shell by replacing 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup ground almonds.

Covering the almond flavored shell is a layer of almond paste, which is delicious in its own right. The pears on top bring the dish to an end, combining their subtle fruity flavor with the sweet almond layers, culminating into a delicious dessert. This tart is every bit as tasty as it looks. As often happens with these recipes, this is one that will probably be repeated when the right occasion comes.

Recipe: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan, pp. 368 - 369