Did you guys know this year is a leap year? I know that’s kind of a random thing to start a blog post off with but I’m so hyped. I don’t have any special plans, I just think it’s cool. To be honest, I don’t really understand leap years or why they exist but it’s an excuse to have a lil mini party.
Also, Saint Patricks day is coming up! I don’t know if other people really celebrate the holiday, but it’s actually one of my personal favorites. I associate it with good things. Last year, I got to go on a super cool school trip on Saint Patricks day. It was super fun, and now I associate it with the holiday. Also, Irish soda bread is one of my very favorite things to make, and eat!
ALSO easter is kind of soon. Wut. How did that happen!? I feel like it’s usually in April but I think this year its on the last day of March? I don’t actually know if that’s true, so you might want to check your calendar.
Oh, one last thing! I have a little more news on my Market endeavors. I’m going to be selling at my local market over the summer! I don’t know how many days yet, and I don’t know what exactly I’m going to be selling, but that’s a problem for future me. To be honest, I’m just procrastinating doing the math to figure out the prices. I’m excited because I get to share my baked goods with others, but I’m also looking forward to getting to earn some money! I want to use it to pay for some decorations in my room.
I painted my room last summer and I have slowly been making it more like what I want. There’s a few cozy decorations I want from amazon, and I’m hoping to paint my dresser. Oh, also I’m going to rethink the reading nook I have right now because it just isn’t meeting the vibe check.
Ok, time to talk about baking. Isn’t this tart so pretty? I love the lil pear swirl, I feel like it looks really elegant. And thankfully, it takes just as good as it looks. I mean, pistachio, cardamom, and pears go amazngly well together.
Describe this Tart to Me
Taste: Nutty, sweet, salty, buttery, spiced, cozy, all of the above! This tart combines all the best flavors. You’ve got that classic sweet nutty frangipane flavor, plus warming cardamom flavor to compliment the pistachios. Then you have the maple pears to tie it together with the buttery crust.
Texture: The crust is flakey and buttery, while the filling is smooth and melts in your mouth with a little crunch from the pistachios. Then you have some moisture from the pears on top. It all mixes so beautifully well together!
Ease: This tart is of medium difficulty. It’s actually pretty quick to make, and there’s nothing too challenging. I will say that rolling out the pie dough and transferring it can sometimes be difficult, but with patience it will come together. Cutting the pears super thin is also a somewhat difficult task, but with a mandoline I find it quite simple!
The Crust
I love this crust. It’s so simple, but tastes so fancy. It’s flakey and buttery, and you don’t even have to blind bake it! And it uses all the good stuff. Flour, salt, butter, and buttermilk. Kitchen staples that you probably already have lying around. And, it only needs to chill for around 40 minutes. Like I said, simple. But SO YUMMY.
What is Frangipane?
That is a wonderful question. Frangipane is a mixture of butter, eggs, sugar, flour, and typically ground almonds. But because we’re special, we’re using ground pistachios and adding cardamom. It forms this rich paste that firms up and caramelizes when baked. It’s almost always topped with fruit, and today that’s pears!
The Pears
Let’s talk about these pears. They are caramelized because of course they are. But it’s way easier than it sounds. All you have to do is cook them in some maple syrup. Yeah that’s it. The pears are cut super thin, so they just take a little dip in some boiling maple syrup, before we layer them over the filling.
Pistachio Cardamom Frangipane Tart with Caramelized Pears
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, toss together the flour and salt. Then, using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold cubed butter until it forms small pea sized crumbles. Add the buttermilk and use a spatula or a wooden spoon to bring the dough together. You may need to add a little more buttermilk, but its okay if it has some dry spots. It shouldn't be sticky.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out into a 12 inch circle. Carefully transfer that to a 9 inch tart pan. Use your finger to press it into the pans bottom and sides. Cut excess off of the edges if necessary. Place in the refrigerator to firm up for 40 minutes.
- Grind up the pistachios in a food processor until they resemble the texture of almond flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using either a stand or hand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add the almond flour, salt, cardamom, and the ground up pistachios, mixing until combined. It should be a somewhat pasty consistency. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Spread the filling evenly into the chilled pie crust. Place in the refrigerator while we make the pears.
- Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a large skillet with sides. Boil for 3-5 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Add the pears and carefully toss them to coat in the syrup. Let them sit in the syrup for about 1-2 minutes before removing. Layer the pears over top of the frangipane filling. They should overlap some. Drizzle the syrup that the pears cooked in over the top of the tart.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet (to catch any butter that leaks out) and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden brown. Allow the tart to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.