- PEAR AND ALMOND TART-

One of the cheapest kinds of fruit you can buy is the long brown or speckled Conference pear, which does not have as much flavour as some other varieties (notably Williams) but is excellent for cooking: in particular it is useful in winter when the choice of fresh cooking fruit is limited.

At the right stage of ripeness pears give a little to the touch: avoid any which are definitely soft, as they will be overripe. If they are hard and underripe, you can still use them, but they will take a relatively long time to stew (in fact, you may prefer them slightly unripe, as they are crisper and less sweet).

The tart can be eaten hot or cold. Serve with Greek yoghurt or Yoghurt Cheese (see page 180) instead of cream. For 6-8.

- INGREDIENTS -

I quantity Shortcrust Pastry with Wholemeal and White Flour (see page 53)

I Ib/500 g Conference pears

8 oz/250 g caster sugar, plus a little extra for sprinkling

2 oz/50 g butter

31/2 oz/lOO g ground almonds

Juice Y2 lemon

I generous dessertspoon plum iam, apple ie/ly or marmalade

1/2 inch/l cm piece cinnamon stick

81/2 Inehl22 em tart tin

Flsh�sllee or slotted spoon

- METHOD-

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F, 200°C, Gas Mark 6. Line the tart tin with the pastry. Cover all over, including the rim, with aluminium foil, pressing it closely to the edges. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes. Take the pastry case out of the oven and turn down the heat to 350°F, 180°C, Gas Mark 4.

2 Quarter, peel, core and slice the pears. Put with 4 ozll25 g of

BREAD, SCONES, MUFFINS AND CAKES

the sugar (no water) in a pan over very low heat for about 2 minutes or until the sugar has melted and the juice has started to run; tum frequently. Raise the heat slightly and poach for 5 minutes or until the fruit is tender and submerged, or almost submerged, in liquid. Lift out the pieces with the fish-slice or slotted spoon, leaving the juice in the pan.

3 Melt the butter over gentle heat (do not allow it to brown). Remove from the heat. Mixwith the remaining 4 ozl125 g sugar. Add the ground almonds and just enough lemon juice for the mixture to become a stiff paste.

4 Spread the jam, jelly or marmalade evenly over the halfcooked pastry case. Cover with an even layer of the almond mixture. Arrange the slices ofpear in a circle overthe paste, fat ends outwards; pile any left-over pieces in a knob in the middle.

5 Pound the cinnamon stick as finely as you can. Setthe pan of pear juice over high heat and boil for 1'14-1 '12 minutes or until slightly thickened and reduced to a syrup. Pour this over the pears. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and a little more sugar and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

-

PECAN PIE-

Both pecans and the maple syrup, with which the filling is made, are expensive, but everyone agrees that the cost is worth it. You could use only 4 ozll25 g nuts rather than 5 0z1 150 g if you prefer, and I have been as economical as possible with the syrup. It is important, however, that the syrup should be pure: you can buy cheaper, part-maple syrup (probably labelled 'pancake syrup'). but it will not give the pie at all the same flavour.

To contrast with the texture of the roughly chopped nuts, the filling does not set hard but is soft and creamy. When just baked, itwill be slightly puffed up and cracked butwill subside as the pie cools.

It should be a deep, rich brown: do not think that it is burnt because of its dark colour (which is due to the darkness of the sugar and syrup). For 4-5.

3 oz/90 g butter

5 oz/150 g pecan nuts

1 quantity Shortcrust Pastry with Wholemeal Flour (see page 52) or Shortcrust Pastry with Wholemeal and White Flour (see page 53)

6 oz/190 g dark soft brown sugar

2 eggs (size 2)

1 teaspoon cornffour

4 ff oz/125 ml maple syrup

81/2 inehl22 em tart tin

• METHOD .

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F, 200°C, Gas Mark 6. Take the butter out of the refrigerator, chop it into small pieces and leave it in a warm place to soften. Roughly chop or crush the nuts, leaving some almost whole.

2 Line the tart tin with the pastry. Cover all over, including the rim, with aluminium foil, pressing it closely to the edges of the tin. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Take the pastry case out of the oven and lower the temperature to 350°F, 180°C, Gas Mark 4.

3 Beat the butter with the sugar to a thick paste. Add and beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the cornflour.

4 Add the nuts and syrup. Stirvigorously, pourat once into the pastry case (if you leave the mixture to stand for any length of time, it will need stirring again, because the syrup sinks to the bottom). Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Tum the oven down to 300°F, 150°C, Gas Mark 2, and cook for a further 15-20 minutes or until set (tilt the dish slightly: if the filling moves, it is not ready). Leave to cool before serving.