Warm Hazelnut Pear Tarte with Vanilla Saffron Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 cup hazelnuts, finely ground
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons ice water

• 3 medium pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup hazelnuts, chopped

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads, lightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Method

1. 01
   Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. 02
   To prepare the crust, combine the sifted flour, ground hazelnuts, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. 03
   Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough begins to come together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
4. 04
   Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan. Trim the edges and chill while preparing the filling.
5. 05
   For the filling, toss the pears with lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Arrange the pear slices over the prepared crust and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
6. 06
   Bake the tart for 35 minutes or until the pears are tender and the crust is golden brown. Let it cool slightly.
7. 07
   In the meantime, prepare the vanilla saffron cream by heating the cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Add saffron threads and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let it steep for 10 minutes.
8. 08
   Serve the warm tarte with a generous drizzle of vanilla saffron cream.