These quick, easy and highly Instagrammable tarts are a cinch to make. If you’re not keen on almonds or replace the frangipane with a dollop of chocolate hazelnut spread or blueberry compote thickened with cornflour.

Method

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in one at a time mixing well to incorporate. Whisk in the ground almonds and flour and then the chocolate and vanilla paste. Set the mixture aside.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Peel the pears, cut in half lengthwise and then scoop out the core using a teaspoon.
• Taking care not to cut through at the stem end, slice the length of each half pear through the ‘belly’ so you have several strips held together at the top – see image. Push the ‘strands’ back together to reform it into a pear shape.
• Unroll the sheet of puff pastry onto a cutting board and smooth it flat.
• Hold a pear half to keep the strands together, press a blob of the chocolate frangipane mixture into the centre left by the core, then place the pear, cut side down, on the pastry. Repeat with the remaining halves taking care to leave space between them.
• Using a sharp knife, cut around each pear leaving a 1cm border mimicking their shape and cutting a leaf at the stem end.

Peel the pastry trimmings from in between the pears and carefully lift the pastry and pears onto a lined baking sheet using a fish slice or large spatula.

• Brush the pastry edges with the egg wash and then bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden and well risen.
• Remove from the oven and brush the pears with the warm apricot jam to glaze.

• Sieve over a little icing sugar just before serving for a final flourish.

Louismann