Pear almond tart

Yield: 1 10" tart MMM

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c Unbleached flour
2 tb Sugar
1 pn Salt
1 pn Ground cloves
1/2 ts Grated lemon peel
1/4 lb Butter
1 Egg yolk
5 tb Ice water Butter; softened MMMMM---------------------------GLAZE--------------------------------
1/2 c Apricot preserves
2 tb Dark rum MMMMM--------------------------FILLING-------------------------------
1/2 c Finely ground almonds
1/2 c Sugar
1 tb Flour
9 Firm

Instructions:

ripe pears -- (preferably Anjou) -- peeled halved lengthwise -- and cored To make pastry put dry ingredients and lemon peel in bowl of food processor fitted with metal chopping blade; process just to mix. Add butter and cut into small pieces; process just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk; process just until blended. With processor running quickly add ice water. Process several seconds until pastry forms ball. Stop at once to avoid overmixing. Wrap ball in plastic wrap; chill at least one hour. Butter a 10-inch quiche pan with a removable bottom. Roll pastry out slightly larger than pan. Carefully lift pastry to pan and gently press against bottom and sides. Trim edges; prick bottom and sides with fork. Chill for 1/2 hour. Line pastry-filled pan with a circle of foil pressing it gently against pastry. Fill liner with uncooked rice or dried beans to weight. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven 15 minutes. Lift out liner with rice or beans (save for future pastry baking). Bake crust 5 minutes longer; cool on rack. To make glaze heat preserves and rum over low heat stirring. Strain brush tart shell with 2 tablespoons glaze. Reserve remainder. To make filling stir together almonds sugar and flour; sprinkle over glazed shell. Slice 12 pear halves crosswise. (Do not separate the slices. -KM) Place sliced halves in circle over almond mixture in shell. Chop remaining pear halves use to fill spaces between sliced pears. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven 40 minutes. Remove from oven brush with remaining warm glaze. Serve at room temperature.