Butterscotch Pear and Frangipane Tarts recipe

                               Great recipe from my Friends In Santa Monica 

The Gourmandise School   of Sweets and Savories

Pears are in. There's just no consolation for the end of the stone fruit season.  It looms near.  If you've been reading this newsletter for a few years, this lament should sound familiar.  Sigh. While there are a few more weeks left of peaches and plums, the nectarines are dwindling and peaches beginning to cursty.  Pluots and plums are issuing in the inevitable Winter, and welcoming a new crop of fruit.  Enter the Pear. Truth be told, I prefer most fruits on their own.  Pears, on the other hand, (and pardon the pun), make for wonderful pairings. This tart recipe was made in yesterday's Fall Tarts class.  Poached in Muscovado sugar and nestled in a bed of frangipane, these pears sweeten the change of seasons and promise a delicious start to the holiday season. Butterscotch Pear and Frangipane Tarts    Poached Pears  2 large pears 3 cups water 2 cups sugar 1 cup muscovado sugar (molasses sugar) 1) Bring the sugars and water to a simmer.  2) Add pears and cover.  Cook down for 45 minutes.  Remove from the syrup and cool.  Cut into 1/2" slice.    Pate Sucree (Sweet Pastry Dough) In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine: 175g  (6 oz) Butter 75g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar set aside: 1 egg pinch of salt ½ vanilla bean, split 250g (2 1/4 cups) flour 1) Cream the butter and sugar until your mixture is light and fluffy. 2) Add the egg, vanilla bean and salt and beat for 2 minutes.  Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 20 seconds.  Remove the vanilla bean. 3) Add the flour and mix until just combined.  Roll out or press into a 10" pie or tart tin and bake at 350 until just golden on edges. You will have leftover dough- roll into a cylinder and freeze for slice and bake cookies! Variation: Chocolate Dough: replace ¼ cup flour with ½ cup cocoa powder. Frangipane Filling Note: for Pistachio Frangipane, replace half the almonds with pistachios  1/3 cup almond flour 1 tablespoon flour  ¼ cup sugar ¾ stick butter, softened  1 egg 1) Place all ingredients and pulse until it all comes together.  2) Spoon into pre-baked tart shells and top with pear slices, then return to 350 degree oven until just golden and no longer wet.   Wishing you a delicious day, Clémence and Hadley