Instructions: For the White Wine Poached Pears: Combine wine, 4 cups water, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, and vanilla bean in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Add pears, reduce to simmer, and cook until the pears are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool pears in poaching liquid. (Makes 4)

for the Pate Sucree: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse to combine. Add butter, and process just until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow steady stream through feed tube. Drizzle in egg yolks, and process just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky; about 30 seconds. Test dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water. Divide dough in half. Pat into discs, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least one hour. (Makes 2 eight- to ten-inch tarts or single-crust pies)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 10-inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Set aside. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour, and roll pastry dough into a circle with a 14-inch diameter. Fit circle into prepared tin, being careful not to stretch dough too thin. Transfer to freezer until firm, about 15 minutes. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, finely grind almonds. Set aside.

Make the frangipane: Combine butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add ground almonds, 3 tablespoons rum, egg, almond extract, and flour, and beat until smooth. Spread evenly into chilled tart shell, and refrigerate while preparing pears.

Remove cooled poached pears from liquid, and cut each in half lengthwise, removing core and stem. Place each half, cut-side down, on a cutting board, and cut crosswise into thin slices. Arrange sliced pear halves on frangipane around edge of tart, leaving space between each half, and place one half in center of tart. When arranging pears, try to stretch slices toward center of tart, which will elongate pears a bit and fill shell better than if pears were just placed flat. Bake until the tart shell is golden brown and the frangipane is puffed and brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

While the tart is baking, melt apricot jam with remaining 1 tablespoon rum in a small saucepan over medium heat. Brush warm-from-the-oven pears with apricot-rum glaze. Cool tart to room temperature before slicing.

This recipe yields 1 ten-inch tart.

Yield: 1 ten-inch tart

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