Baking in January - pear and apricot frangipane.The vanilla enriched apricots provide a wonderful luxurious edge to the standard pear and almond tart and if you are prepared to use just about every piece of kitchen equipment you own I am sure you will not be disappointed with this tart. Thereafter, liberally brush the glaze onto the tart and leave to stand and cool. In the meantime, place two tablespoons of apricot jam into a small saucepan with two tablespoons of the reserved apricot syrup and bring to the boil. Once taken from the oven, leave the tart to cool for 10 minutes. You can also dip a knife into the tart and if it comes out clean the tart is cooked. The frangipane is cooked when it has risen and is well browned. Without further ado, place the tart in a preheated oven at 180C and cook for about 45 minutes. The pears can be fanned by carefully slicing the base of the fruit, which among other things gives a nice effect when glazed. Having pealed, cored and cut in half three or four pears, place them neatly on the frangipane mixture. With a spatula spread the frangipane mix evenly over the apricots. After straining the apricots and reserving the syrup, tear away the fleshy fruit of the apricots from the stones, and place on the pastry in the baking tin. Grease your tin with butter, dust with flour and lay in the pastry. Take the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface until the pastry is about 4mm thick. My pear and apricot frangipane tart before it went into the oven If the mixture appears too runny add a little more flour. Thereafter, add the ground almonds and flour and pulse two or three times, as the mixture should not be overworked with these ingredients. At this point you can add some vanilla extract if you wish. Thereafter add the eggs one by one mixing all the time. In a food processor blend the butter and sugar for a few minutes until well combined. For my 8 inch square baking tin I use the following ingredients: Butter -125gs, Sugar - 125gs, Ground almonds - 125gs, Eggs - 3, Flour - 2 heaped tablespoons. While the pastry is resting in the fridge you can make the frangipane. Then place your pastry in the fridge for half an hour or more. If the mixture remains dry add more water, and if it becomes too moist add some more flour. Having rubbed the flour and butter together to a breadcrumb consistency, add two or three tablespoons of cold water and mix until all the ingredients combine (if using 200gs of flour and 100gs of butter).

Add butter, egg, flour, salt, and extract and process until well combined. In a food processor, pulse almonds and sugar until finely ground. Refrigerate while you prepare almond cream (frangipane). Fit dough into a 9-inch removable bottom tart pan lifting into and pressing up sides. During Winter this is rarely a problem for me, but I ritually runs my hands under cold water during the warmer months. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 12-inch round. It is a distinct advantage in making a good shortcrust pastry to have a pair of cold hands. Anthony Bourdain in his book ' Kitchen Confidential' chose more caustic remarks to reinforce his viewpoint on this topic. If you feel tempted to use something other than butter try to remember the words ' edible' and 'miserable ' and you might be inclined to change your mind. Pastry requires good baking flour and chilled butter, mixed and rubbed together in a 2:1 ratio. However, some rules apply because if the pastry is poor the tart might be edible but will certainly be miserable. Brush pears (not filling) with preserves and cool tart completely in pan on rack, then remove side of pan.The night before baking, I poached 10 apricots in a white wine and vanilla syrup 250mils of water, 50gs of sugar, glass of white wine and a vanilla pod. Bake until pears are golden and frangipane is puffed and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Arrange pears decoratively on filling, fanning slices slightly. Peel, halve, and core pears, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, holding slices together to keep pear shape intact. Spread frangipane filling evenly in tart shell.Reduce speed to low and mix in nut mixture until just combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. Beat together butter and remaining 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until pale and fluffy.Pulse hazelnuts with 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until finely ground, then add flour and pulse to combine.1/4 cup apricot preserves, heated and strained.3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, softened.

1 cup almonds toasted, skins peeled off.

Ingredients for Frangipane and pear topping

Pear and apricot frangipane tart