Yield: 6 Servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| \N 1 | strip lemon peel -- (3 |
| \N 4 | pears -- Bosc |
| \N 1 | jar apricot preserves -- (12 |
: SHORTBREAD CRUST--
9 TB unsalted butter
9 TB confectioners' sugar --
: sifted
1½ c all-purpose flour -- sifted : unbleached
: CHOCOLATE LAYER--
6 oz semisweet chocolate -- or
: bittersweet
2 TB unsalted butter
: POACHED PEARS--
2 c water
1 c sugar
1 ts vanilla extract
: inch)
½ cinnamon stick
: Splash of Cognac
: GLAZE--
: ounce)
2 TB cura=E7ao -- orange liqueur : or
: pear brandy
: GARNISH--
¼ c sliced almonds -- toasted To make the shortbread crust, cream together the butter and sugar.
Blend in= the flour to make a soft dough. Add 1 more tablespoon butter if the mixture= will not incorporate all the flour.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Pat the dough evenly by hand into the bottom and= 1 ½ to 2 inches up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Prick well= with a fork. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool= completely.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water.= Spread on the bottom and up the side a little to hide the 'seam' of the the= tart shell and let cool until the chocolate hardens.
To Prepare Pears: peel, stem, halve, and core the pears. (Photo tells me= that the pears were peeled by slicing; the roundness is sharpened into an= 8-sided geometry that is quite attractive.) Bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium heat in a large saucepan,= stirring only until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla, lemon peel,= cinnamon and Cognac and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pears and poach for 10= to 15 minutes, until they can be easily pierces with a sharp paring knife.= Let cool in the syrup.
For the glaze, put the apricot preserves in a food processor fitted with the= steel blade and process until smooth. Strain and add the liqueur.
To assemble, drain the pears well, pat them dry, cut crosswise into l/4-inch= slices (as evenly as possible across all pears) and arrange carefully in= the tart shell, stem ends at the center. (Photo shows 7-halves ~- not all 8= -- in the wheel.) Brush the pears with some of the apricot glaze and= sprinkle with the toasted almonds.
Use a warm or heated sharp knife to cut wedges.
(c) 1986 by Los Angeles County Museum of Art. NY: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. [mc-recipe: patH Sep 96]
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