Pear and Almond Tart

Pears and almonds make an elegant combination in this adaptation of a tart from Lydie Marshall's Chez Nous(HarperCollins).

Fruit Tart Shell
1/2 cup whole unskinned almonds
1/4 cup sugar
2 pounds medium Bartlett pears—peeled, halved, cored, and each half cut into 4 wedges
1/2 cup orange marmalade, melted
1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a food processor, coarsely chop the almonds with 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture in the Tart Shell.
Arrange the pear slices in overlapping concentric circles in the Tart Shell and brush them with the marmalade, reserving a scant tablespoon. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture over the pears.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400°. Bake the tart in the bottom third of the oven for about 1 hour, or until the pears are tender and the pastry is golden. Transfer to a rack and brush the pastry rim with the reserved marmalade. Let cool. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar into the sour cream and serve with the tart.

Suggested Pairing

The pairing of fruit and nuts works very well with the Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec.