There is something so satisfying about seeing my two-tier fruit bowl overflowing with fresh fruit.
I love it.
My kids love it.
My daughter now gets her little step and helps herself to all the apples she desires.
We order a family size fruit and vegetable box which is delivered once a week.
It is great value, and all Australian produce.
But we have some problems...
We never eat enough potatoes.
We never eat enough onions.
We never eat enough pears.
There are some weeks where we will get the same few things over and over again.
I don't cook potatoes very often, but now I am finding myself making an effort to use them, and even giving some to family and neighbours.
Potatoes and onions last a while in the pantry, but pears are our problem.
Pears do not last that long.
So I put pears in a lot of things.
Pancakes.
Muffins.
Anything I can!
I decided to step out of my kitchen comfort zone this week and try something different.
I hauled out my huge WW cookbook...
And flicked through the recipes with pears.
I settled on the Almond Pear Flan.
I mixed, I rolled and I assembled...
It looked pretty.
But I was a bit nervous on how it would cook, and taste.
When I pulled it out of the oven, the divine smell hit me...
The recipe calls for apricot jam to be warmed, strained and brushed over the top.
I only had strawberry jam.
(We aren't a very jammy family)
I waited for it to cool slightly, and sliced myself a piece...
It reminds me very much of a friand with the almond meal making up most of the filling.
The flavours were delicate, a perfect pairing of almond and pear.
Quite delicious, and perfect served with tea and maybe a splash of whipped cream.
Almond Pear Flan
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups (185g) plain flour
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
90g butter
2 egg yolks
3 firm ripe medium pears, peeled, cored, quartered
2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed, strained
Almond filling:
125g butter, softened
1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup almond meal
1 tablespoon plain flour
Method:
Process flour, sugar and butter until crumbly. Add egg yolks, process until combined.
Knead on floured surface until smooth. Enclose in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make almond filling:
Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in almond meal and flour.
Preheat oven to 180*C/160*C fan-forced. Grease a 23cm-round loose-based flan tin.
Roll chilled dough between two sheets of baking paper until large enough to line tin.
Lift pastry into tin, ease into base and side; trim edge.
Spread filling into pastry case; place pears over filling.
Bake flan for about 45 minutes, until golden.
Brush flan with jam.
Enjoy!
