FRESH PEAR TART WITH MASCARPONE

This Italian recipe from the cookbook 'The Food of Italy' is simple to cook and it is just gorgeous. We had friends for dinner and was able to make it the previous night. Just make sure you serve it at room temperature. You will make it over and over again.

INGREDIENTS
Pastry
150g plain flour
60g caster sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
60g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk
Mascarpone cream
125g mascarpone
60g caster sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp plain flour
2-3 Tbsp milk, as necessary

4 ripe pears (if possible I like to use the bosc pears, but couldn't find it this time!)
juice of 1/2 lemon
45g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp caster sugar
1 Tbsp apricot jam
1 tsp pear liqueur or other fruit flavoured liqueur (Cointreau)

METHOD:
To make the pastry, mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter, then add the egg yolk and 2-3 teaspoons cold water and mix until the dough gathers in a loose clump. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, adding more flour if needed. Chill in a plastic bag for 30 minutes. (I forgot to take photos!)

Preheat the oven to 190 C and grease a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll the pastry out until large enough to fit the tin. Line the tin neatly, trimming the pastry edges with a knife. Cover the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes then allow to cool. Reduce the oven to 170 C.

To make the mascarpone cream, blend the mascarpone, sugar, egg, vanilla extract and flour together until smooth (you can also use a food processor). Add a little milk if necessary to make the cream spreadable.

Spoon the mascarpone cream into the pastry shell and smooth the surface.
Peel, halve and core the pears, brushing the cut surfaces with lemon juice as you prepare each one.

Arrange the pear halves like wheel spokes in the tart shell, with the wide base of each pear half to the outside. You may need to trim the last couple so they fit snugly.

Place a round piece of pear in the centre. Scatter the hazelnuts over the pears, then sprinkle the sugar over the top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and set and the pears are soft.

Heat the apricot jam and liqueur in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water. Simmer, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until the jam has melted.

Strain and brush over the pears. Serve the tart warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6

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