Chocolate-pear Tart

To make the shortbread crust, cream together the butter and sugar. Blend
in= the flour to make a soft dough. Add 1 more tablespoon butter if the
mixture will not incorporate all the flour.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Pat the dough evenly by hand into the bottom and
1 1/2 to 2 inches up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Prick well with
a fork. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water.
Spread on the bottom and up the side a little to hide the ‘seam’ of the the
tart shell and let cool until the chocolate hardens.
To Prepare Pears: peel, stem, halve, and core the pears. (Photo tells me
that the pears were peeled by slicing; the roundness is sharpened into an
8-sided geometry that is quite attractive.)
Bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium heat in a large saucepan,
stirring only until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla, lemon peel,
cinnamon and Cognac and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pears and poach for 10
to 15 minutes, until they can be easily pierces with a sharp paring knife.
Let cool in the syrup.
For the glaze, put the apricot preserves in a food processor fitted with
the steel blade and process until smooth. Strain and add the liqueur.
To assemble, drain the pears well, pat them dry, cut crosswise into
l/4-inch slices (as evenly as possible across all pears) and arrange
carefully in the tart shell, stem ends at the center. (Photo shows 7-halves
~- not all 8 — in the wheel.) Brush the pears with some of the apricot
glaze and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.
Use a warm or heated sharp knife to cut wedges.