- 1 pound shortcrust pastry
- 4 ounces ground almonds
- 2 large eggs, preferably free-range or organic
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 8 ounces good-quality (bittersweet or semisweet) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted
- 3 Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled, cored and quartered
- Creme fraiche, to serve
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out the pastry until 1/8-inch thick and use it to line a 10-inch tart tin. Leave in the freezer to rest for at least 20 minutes, or longer if you can.
- Bake the pastry blind for around 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove, set aside, and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Mix your almonds, eggs, butter and sugar together, and stir in the melted chocolate while it’s still warm.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the pastry crust. Press the pears into the chocolate and almond mixture.
- Bake the tart for 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the chocolate and almond mixture is firm. Serve warm with a dollop of creme fraiche.