Hazelnut Pastry Dough
1/4 cup (1-ounce) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter
2 tablespoons ice water
Pear Filling:
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons creme fraiche
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of salt
3 ripe firm pears
1 (9 1/2-inch) tart shell
In a food processor, finely grind the
hazelnuts and the sugar.
In a medium bowl, combine the hazelnut
mixture, flour and salt. Add the butter and mix with a pastry
blender until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the water.
Mix until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a ball.
Chill for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll
the dough 1/4-inch thick. Line the tart shell with the dough.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350*F (175*C). Line
the tart shell with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie
weights. Bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove
paper or foil and weights. Continue to bake until golden all
over, about 10 minutes.
Pear Filling:
Decrease the oven temperature to 325*F
(160*C).
In a bowl, whisk together the egg, yolks,
and sugar. Add the cream, creme fraiche, cardamom and salt.
Peel, core and slice the pears 1/8-inch
thick. Arrange the pears in a circular pattern in the prebaked
tart shell. Pour the custard over the pears until the tart is
full. (There may be extra custard depending on the height of
the sides of the tart shell.)
Bake until the custard is almost completely
set, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature before serving.
This tart is best eaten the day it's baked although the dough
can be prepared several days in advance.
