International Recipe : Pear and Mulberry Tart

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-firm Peckham pears (about 360g)
  
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
  
• ¼ cup brandy (optional)
  
• 225g plain flour, sifted
  
• 80g ground almonds
  
• 75g castor sugar
  
• 180g cold butter
  
• 2 egg yolks
  
• 150-200g fresh mulberries

Filling:

• 125g soft butter
  
• 110g castor sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 tbsp plain flour
  
• 125g ground almonds

For decoration:

• Icing sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a 2.5cm deep x 24cm round loose-base flan tin.
2. Peel, core and halve pears. Brush lemon juice and sprinkle the brandy over them. Cover and bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until just tender. Remove from oven and leave it to cool for later use.
3. Sift flour into a big bowl. Add the nuts and sugar. Rub in cold butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Add in yolks and mix to formdough. Shape dough into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Roll two-thirds of the pastry between two plastic sheets until large enough to line the greased flan tin. Refrigerate the pastry for another 20 minutes.
6. To prepare the filling, beat butter, sugar and eggs together till fluffy in an electric beater. Mix in flour and ground almonds.
7. Spread almond filling over base of pastry case; place pears and fresh mulberries around edge.
8. Roll remaining pastry between two plastic sheets until large enough to cover tart. Trim edges. Bake at 180 degrees C for 1 hour or until brown.
9. Stand 15 minutes before serving.
10. Dust with sifted icing sugar, if desired.