Ingredients

For the pastry

225g /9oz plain flour
150g/6 oz margarine
25g /1oz icing sugar
25g/1oz ground almond
1 egg yolk
Cold water
For the filling

50g / 2oz plain flour, sieved
50g/ 2 oz margarine
50g / 2oz castor sugar
50g/2oz ground almond
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
Almond essence (2 - 3 drops)
3 ripe pears

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°c/gas6/400°f. To make the pastry, sieve together the flour and the icing sugar into a bowl. Mix in the ground almonds. Next, rub in the margarine, and then bind together the mixture with the egg yolk. Adding the water a little at a time, form the pastry dough. Cover and allow to rest.

For the filling, cream together the margarine and the sugar. Stir in the sieved flour, almond, milk and essence.

Roll out the pastry, and line a pre-greased 9 inch round tin. Spread around the filling mixture evenly.

Peel, core and half the pears. Slice the pear halves across the width, and arrange around the filling, rounded side up.

Bake for 15 mins, then reduce the heat to 190°c, 275°f, gas 5 and bake for a further 15 mins. Allow the flan to cool in the tin before turning out.

Ideally served warm

Chef's Tips

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