Poached pear Frangipane tart

Makes one 10" tart

Pears

2 c water

1 c sugar

1/2 lemon worth of zest

1 Tbs lemon juice

3 bosc pears.

Bring the water, sugar, zest and lemon juice to a boil. Peel the pears, cut them and half lengthwise, remove the pips, and put them into the water. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, making sure that the pears are completely covered. If they are not add more water. Remove the pears from the water with a slotted spoon and allow to cool.

Dough

1 1/3 c flour

1/3 c sugar

3 Tbs butter

3 egg yolks

3/4 c apricot preserves

1 Tbs lemon juice

Combine flour, sugar and butter in the food processor. Combing until crumbly. Add the yolks all at once and quickly process until intigrated. It will still be really crumbly. Press into the tart pan making sure that it covers the sides.

Put the apricot jam in a sauce pan with the lemon juice and cook over a low heat stirring often until the jam is runny. Gently spoon it over the crust, trying to cover as much of it as you can. You won't be able to spread it as the crust is too crumbly.

Se the crust aside.

Filling

1 c. butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2 c. almonds

3 oz dark rum

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbs flour

1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 400.

Toast one half of the almonds. Allow to cool and then put in the food processor with the rest of the almonds. Process until it won't chop them up any finer.

Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs, almond extract, vanilla and rum. My first thought was to leave out the rum but DON'T! It really makes the flavor. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into the crust. Slice the pears into wedges and carefully lay them on top the filling making a pattern that makes you happy.

Put the tart pan on a cooking sheet to catch any possible overflow and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is not jiggly.

Cool. Serve.

This would be really great with some clotted cream