Chocolate Pear Frangipane Tart (Vegan) Recipe
A rich and indulgent vegan Chocolate Pear Frangipane Tart that combines tender poached pears with a luscious chocolate almond filling, encased in a delicate cocoa-infused pastry crust. Perfect as a sophisticated dessert for special occasions or a decadent treat for any day.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Poached Pears
- 4 small conference pears, just ripe (peeled)
- 1 litre (4 cups) water
- 200 g (1 cup) caster or granulated sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
Pastry
- 200 g (1 + ⅔ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 30 g (⅓ cup) cocoa powder
- 65 g (½ cup) icing (powdered) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 130 g (½ cup + 1 Tablespoon) vegan block butter (cold and diced)
- 1 Tablespoon water (plus additional cold water as needed)
Frangipane Filling
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) dark chocolate (finely chopped)
- 110 g (½ cup) vegan block butter (cubed)
- 90 ml (6 Tablespoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy recommended)
- 110 g (½ cup) caster or granulated sugar
- 35 g (⅓ cup + 1 teaspoon) cocoa powder
- 30 g (¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 200 g (2 cups) ground almonds (almond flour)
Instructions
- Poach the Pears: In a deep saucepan, combine water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Bring to a simmer while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add peeled pears and gently simmer for 20 minutes until tender. Set aside to cool in the poaching liquid.
- Prepare the Pastry: Sift flour, cocoa powder, icing sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Rub in cold diced vegan butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs with no lumps. Add 1 tablespoon of water and gradually add more cold water to bring the dough together into a ball. Shape into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
- Roll and Blind Bake the Pastry: Roll the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit a 23 cm (9-inch) pie dish. Press into the dish corners, trim excess, prick the base with a fork, and freeze for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/350°F/gas mark 4. Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or dried rice. Bake for 20 minutes, remove parchment and beans, then bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until dry to the touch. Remove and set aside.
- Make the Frangipane Filling: Melt dark chocolate and vegan butter together over a hot water bath or in short microwave bursts, stirring frequently. Whisk in non-dairy milk and sugar. Sift in cocoa powder, flour, and baking powder, then fold in ground almonds until well combined.
- Assemble Tart: Pour frangipane mixture into the prebaked pastry shell and spread evenly. Drain and pat dry poached pears. Slice each pear half lengthwise without cutting fully through the narrow end to fan them out. Arrange the fanned pear slices on top of the frangipane filling.
- Bake the Tart: Bake at 180°C (160°C fan)/350°F/gas mark 4 for approximately 50 minutes. A skewer inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Let the tart cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use ripe but firm conference pears for best texture when poaching and slicing.
- Make sure the vegan butter is cold when rubbing into the flour to achieve a flaky pastry.
- Freezing the pastry before blind baking helps maintain its shape and texture.
- Be gentle when slicing pears to keep the fan shape intact for an attractive presentation.
- You can substitute soy milk with other unsweetened non-dairy milks like almond or oat milk.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days for optimal freshness.
