3 pears

500g sugar

500ml water

½ cinnamon stick

Almond sponge:

100g caster sugar

100g butter

2 eggs

90g ground almonds

10g plain flour

1 zest of one lemon

sweet pastry:

200g plain flour

125g butter

50g sugar

1 egg

1 tbs raspberry jam

First make the pastry. Whisk the sugar and egg together.

Rub the butter into the sifted flour until it resembles breadcrumbs and add the egg mixture.

Bring together to a paste and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

To make the poached pears, peel the pears and simmer gently with the water, sugar and cinnamon for 20 minutes.

If the water does not cover the fruit, add more until fruit is fully submerged.

For the almond sponge, cream the sugar and butter together and add the eggs, slowly. Fold in the ground almonds, lemon and flour.

Roll out the chilled pastry and line a flan ring or eight individual tartlet cases.

Spread the raspberry jam on the base of the tart and pour in the almond sponge mix.

Quarter and core the pears and arrange on top of the tart.

Bake for 40 minutes at 200˚C.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before dusting with icing sugar.