Pear Frangipane Tart

For the tart dough:
1. Combine the flour, butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl and work it with your fingers until it reaches a sandy consistency, with pebble-sized pieces of butter throughout. Add the egg wash and incorporate with a fork.

2. Combine the dough together and roll out with a rolling pin on a well floured cutting board or surface, until about 1/8 inch thick. Flip the cutting board over onto a tart pan with a removable bottom. Press into the contours of the pan and trim for neat edges. Freeze the dough in the tart pan for 30 minutes.

For the almond cream:
3. Cream the butter with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until fluffy and smooth.

4. Add the sugar and continue to work until smooth.

5. Add the almond flour and stir until well combined, making sure not to overwork it.

6. Work the eggs in one at a time. Once incorporated, set mixture aside.

For the pastry cream:
7. Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan with the vanilla.

8. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow in color.

9. Sift the flour and cornstarch into the yolk and sugar mixture and stir to remove any lumps.

10. Pour in half of the hot milk mixture and whisk to temper it, then return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan.

11. Heat the pastry cream over medium flame, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Be sure to scrape the bottom and lower inside edges of the pan to prevent lumps and to keep the mixture from scalding.

12. Cook the pastry cream for 3 minutes after it has come to a boil.

13. Transfer the pastry cream to a stainless-steel bowl and cover with melted butter or plastic wrap to prevent the formation of a skin. Push the plastic wrap down so that it is touching the surface of the cream and allow to cool.

To assemble the tart:
14. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the almond cream with the pastry cream, remove the crust from the freezer and spread the frangipane over the bottom of the shell. Fill to about 1/2 and cover the frangipane with a layer of thinly sliced pear halves in a decorative pattern.

15. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the surface with apricot glaze.