Pear Tartlets

FILLING
450 g (16 oz) can pears in juice – below)
300 To 400ml custard cream (see

CUSTARD CREAM
500 ml (17 fl oz) milk 1/4 ts Salt
1 Vanilla pod 1 tb Melted butter
30 g (1oz) flour 4 Eggs
85 g (3oz) sugar 2 Egg yolks

-GLAZE-
2 Gelatine leaves Lemon juice

To Drink: – Sweet white wine

Level of Difficulty: Fairly easy Preparation Time: 1 hr + resting
time + setting time Prepare in Advance: Yes

First, make the pastry. Mix together the flour, icing sugar and
butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg
yolk and work quickly together to form a dough. Set aside in the
fridge to rest for 1 hour.

Make the custard cream. Pour the milk into a saucepan. Halve the
vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk. Add the
pod. Bring to the boil and simmer over low heat for 5 mins. Beat
together the eggs, egg yolks, flour, sugar, salt and butter. Beat in
the boiling strained milk. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan
and bring to the boil, beating vigorously. Set aside to cool,
beating occasionally. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Roll out the dough and line 6 small fluted tart tins with removable
bases. Prick the bases with a fork. Chill for 15-30 mins. Preheat
the oven to 200?C/400?F/Gas Mark 6.

Bake blind for 15-20 mins or until golden. Set aside to cool.

Strain the pears and reserve 150ml/5 fl oz of the juice. Cut the
pears into thin quarters.

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for approximately 10 mins.
Squeeze out the water and melt the leaves in a little pear juice.
Add lemon juice to taste. Keep in the fridge until the glaze starts
to thicken.

Spread the custard over the base of the pastry moulds. Decorate with
pear quarters and cover with the glaze. Place in the fridge until
the glaze has set.