Pear and Hazelnut Tart

Build me up buttercup

Cause all you need on a dreary monday is a decadance of colors.

A nutty spectacle of intoxicatingly sweet roasted pears and hazelnut cake batter. A celebration of the humble packham pear, a slow ripening variety of pear which becomes slightly soft and deliciously juicy when it reaches it's primal shade of glorius yellow. It certainly was a joy for afternoon teas and late night snack; warmed to a kicking revival in the oven.

On a seperate note, I apologise for my less than eloquent posts these days. Been experiencing a mighty bout of word constipation lately. Blame it on the exams. Catching up with notes on Mao Zedong and the cultural revolution and even UAV navigation systems ain't doing anything good for the articulate (but now, more strangled) mind. Can't wait for the refresher trip down under. My brain could probably use a good unclogging. Images of the red rock in all it's solitary glory, miles and miles of untouched landscape, beautifully lonely beaches and Gordon Ramsey at the Good Food and Wine Festival makes me just want to shout out loud!

Till then... forlino, cats the musical and beer fest...

Pear and Hazelnut Tart

recipe adapted from Donna Hay

90g butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup hazelnut meal ( can be sub. with almond meal)
1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 Packham's pears, peeled, cored and quartered
1/2 cup brown sugar, extra
raw sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees celsius. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process till combined. Add eggs, hazelnut meal, flour, baking powder and lemon rind and process till combined. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9.5 cm x 33cm loose bottom fluted tart tin. Place the pears and extra brown sugar in a large bowl and toss around to coat. Press the pears into the tart mixture and bake for 35-40mins. Sprinkle with raw sugar and allow to cool with tin. Serve with double cream.