Perfect for Christmas morning, that’s what this is. This tastes like Christmas to me. The crust of the tart is basically an amazing gingerbread cookie topped with ground almonds, sweet marmalade coated pears and topped off with a sprinkling of icing sugar. The dough is so amazing it would also make wonderful cookies on its own. The recipe comes from the creative Donna Hay from Australia issue # 63.

Gingerbread Pear and Almond Tart

recipe from Donna Hay magazine issue # 63

yield: serves 6-8

125 gms unsalted butter (9 Tbsp.) softened

1/2 Cup light brown sugar

2/3 Cup golden syrup (I use Lyles golden syrup brand)

2  1/2 Cups all purpose flour, sifted

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 Cup almond meal (ground almonds)

2 Tbsp. caster sugar (superfine sugar)

3 firm brown pears, unpeeled, cored and sliced (ea. pear slice into 8 slices)

1/4 Cup caster sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 Cup orange marmalade

1 egg white, beaten

confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325° degrees F. Place the butter and sugar in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup, flour, ginger, and baking soda and beat until mixture just comes together to form a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 8 inches wide by 15 1/2 inches long. Mix the almond meal and 2 Tbsp. caster sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle down the center of the dough leaving a 2 inch border on all sides. In a medium bowl toss the pears, marmalade, vanilla, 1/4 Cup sugar to combine. Top the dough with the pears shingling them in an alternate pattern. Fold the edges of the dough over the pears. Brush with egg white and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes until the tart is golden. Let cool on a wire rack and dust with sprinkling of powdered sugar.