Pear Frangipane Chocolate Tart

If you have a jar of lovely poached pears this is a perfect idea for using them. Of course you can poach them yourself in some sugar and vanilla. This is a chocolate crust made with chocolate cookies, a nice almond frangipane filling and the sweet pears on top. 

Get the whipped cream and a great cup of coffee!

You will need:

• 2 cups crushed chocolate cookies (homemade or Oreo crumbs)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 5 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup rum
• 100 grams almond flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 4-5 poached pears (I used bottles pears from a winery poached in vanilla syrup)
• sprinkle of sugar
• 1/2 cup of apricot or orange jam heated and strained.

350 degrees F 30-40 minutes

Step 1: take some homemade cookies or you can buy store bought Oreo crumbs already crushed just like Graham cracker crumbs. I placed them in a food processor to crush. Once you have 2 cups add to a large bowl with sugar and melted butter. Mix until like wet sand.

Step 2: butter a tart pan with removable bottom (can be a round pan if yours isn't rectangular) press in the cookie crumb mix and using a 1/4 cup measuring cup press evenly into sides and bottom of tin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes. 

Step 3: in a mixing bowl add butter and sugar and mix for 1 minute.

Step 4: add almond flour, rum, egg and almond extract. Mix until smooth.

Step 5: take some poached pears and slice into thin slices.

Step 6: layer the almond frangipane over the crust. Place fruit in a pretty pattern over top. Add a sprinkling of sugar over the pears.

Step 7: bake for 30-35 minutes.

Step 8: take some apricot jam and heat in a pan until more viscous and easy to brush. Brush on a bot over the pears.

Slice and serve with some soft whipped cream.