pear tart

Use a 23cm/9in loose-bottomed tart tin

400g/14oz sweet shortcrust pastry
1 free-range egg, beaten
4 ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
2 lemons, juice only
75g/2½oz softened butter
75g/2½oz golden caster sugar
75g/2½oz ground almonds
1 free-range egg yolk
2 tbsp pear liqueur or brandy
3 tbsp apricot jam

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
2. Line the tart tin with the pastry, cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans (or a plate can work). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking beans and paper, brush the pastry with the beaten egg and bake for a further 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. To make the filling, toss the pears in the lemon juice to stop them from going brown. Beat together the butter, sugar, ground almonds, egg yolk and pear liqueur (or brandy) until smooth. Spoon into the pastry case, then spread out in an even layer. Arrange the pears in overlapping rings, starting from the outside edge of the tart and working inwards.
4. Bake for 30 minutes and then set aside to cool. As the tart cools, heat the jam in a small saucepan until loosened, then pass it through a sieve into a bowl.
5. Carefully remove the tart from the tin and brush the top generously with the jam. Leave to cool before slicing and serving.