Pear and almond tart

Start by rolling out the pastry to about 3 mm in thickness (approximate diameter of 28cm). Then wrap the pastry around a rolling pin and line the inside of the tart dish and use your thumb to press it very gently into the edge of the tin. Cut off the overlapping dough at the top, then prick the bottom all over with a fork before placing in the freezer for one hour. Meanwhile blend the butter and the icing sugar and add a little of the ground almonds to mix. Next add the egg, followed by the rest of the almonds and combine well to form the almond cream. When the pastry is ready, spread the almond cream on the bottom of the tart. Next cut the pears into slices, horizontally and place the segments of the pear on top of the almond cream. Place the tart in the oven and bake for 35 minutes for one large tart (or 12 minutes for individual tarts). Remove from the oven and allow to cool before sprinkling with a little icing sugar to serve.

Chefs tip: serve with crème fraîche and Cockburn's 10 year old Tawny Port.