However, I’ve been in a mood for baked goods with pears, I made a couple pear gingerbread cakes (upside down and right side up from various bakers) as a build up to Zoe’s recipe.

So yesterday, I bit the bullet. I poached the pear (so easy–but I did some shortcuts with chai tea bags), mixed up the dreaded pie crust and popped it in the fridge and waited until I could muster up the energy to roll out the pie crust and fill it up with almond cream.

Overall, it was…quiet easy. Multiple steps but basic skills. It didn’t turn out perfect because I didn’t use pie weights so the crust shrunk, and the bottom puffed (I poked it with a knife and slapped it back down) however it led to a nice thick layer of crust on the edged. Then I poured in the almond cream into the hot crust and it immediately started to melt, so in a panic I threw in the sliced poached pears (luckily I prepped this) and tossed it into the oven. Then I remembered the almonds around the edges, I only had sliced almond, but I grabbed the tart from the oven, and put almonds around the edges and it looked SO pretty.

After baking for 20 minutes, I checked it and it was very wobbly in the center. So I baked it for another 10 minutes…still wobbly. I gave up, took it out and reread the recipe. I forgot the flour. HOWEVER, a few hours later, I went heck, let me wrap the edges with aluminium foil (to stop browning) and just bake it some more (and finished it off with a light broil. Fingers crossed it would taste good Christmas morning (today).

Well. Let me tell you, even with the nerve-wracking mishaps, it turned out AMAZING. The flavors, the crust, the pear. Delicious.

TLDR:
If you forget the flour in the almond cream, just bake it longer with edges wrapped so it doesn’t get too dark.
If you poured the almond cream into a hot crust and it looks like it’s melting, NO PROBLEM.
If you were lazy and did a shortcut of the poached pear with chai tea bags (with star anise and cinnamon), IT’S OKAY!

I will 10000% make this again. Gorgeous and delicious!!

Hi Scarlett, it will depend on if your frangipane is cold or if you’ve just mixed it, but about 20 minutes give or take depending on the temperature of the filling. I hope this helps!

Love your baking and your videos!!!
Anat

Hi Barbara, you can find the instructions on how to poach the pears in the ingredient list (it links to here: http://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/2012/11/08/chai-poached-pears-and-sorbet/). The blog post mentions to bake until the almond cream is puffed and golden.

Hi Andrea,

I’d say 8 large pieces.

Thanks, Zoë