Pear, almond and blue cheese tart

Pear, almond and blue cheese tart. Photograph: Emma Jervis
Serves: 4
Course: Dessert
Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

  • For the pastry
  • 150g flour
  • 75g butter
  • 50g sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  •  
  • For the filling
  • 100g butter at room temperature
  • 250g Cashel Blue cheese
  • 100g sugar
  • 350g ground almonds
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 large ripe pears, cored and cut into thin slices

1. Start by making the pastry. Preheat the oven to 180c. Put the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add in the salt and sugar and mix well. Finally add the water to the egg yolk to loosen it and add the mixture and bring it together. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Bake blind by covering with baking parchment weighted by uncooked rice or beans for approx 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

2. While the base is baking, place the butter, cheese and sugar in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as you go. Add the almonds and eggs and pulse again until well mixed.

3. Scatter the pears over the cooked pastry without them overlapping and spoon the mixture on top and around them. Don’t worry about how it looks it will all even out in the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until nicely golden on top. Allow to cool before serving.