Ingredients

• 50g/2oz butter
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 4 pears
• peeled and halved
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
• 25g/1oz caster sugar
• 1 free-range egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• to bind
• if required
• 225g/8oz unsalted butter
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs
• 1 lemon
• zest only
• finely grated
• 50g/2oz plain flour
• 175g/6¼oz ground almonds
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 100g/3½oz dark chocolate
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 125ml/4fl oz water
• double cream

Directions

• Melt the butter with the sugar in a large frying pan and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has become a golden-brown caramel.
• Add the pear halves and cook
• turning once
• until caramelised all over. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the pastry
• place the plain flour
• butter and sugar into a food processor and pulse together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg and pulse until the mixture just comes together as a dough. Add a little milk if required.
• Remove the dough from the food processor and roll to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap. Roll the pastry out on a clean
• floured work surface to line a 20cm/8in tart tin. Transfer to the oven to bake for ten minutes
• or until golden-brown.
• For the filling
• mix the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add one egg at a time to the butter mixture and mix well
• before adding the next (this can be done in a food mixer) until all the eggs are mixed into the butter and sugar.
• Add the lemon zest
• plain flour and ground almonds and mix well to combine.
• Spoon the filling into the baked pastry tin and press the caramelised pear halves into the filling
• so that they are half-submerged.
• Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes
• or until the filling is cooked through.
• For the chocolate sauce
• place the butter
• sugar
• chocolate
• cocoa powder
• vanilla extract and water into a clean pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes
• stirring regularly
• until the sauce is thick and glossy.
• To serve
• cut a piece of tart and place on a serving plate
• top with the chocolate sauce and drizzle over the double cream.