I remember years ago, trying to make a version of this dessert, and not being able to find almond paste anywhere. I thought, “no problem! I can just make my own”.
But I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I messed up blanching my almonds by not putting them in boiling water for a full minute, so I ended up having a really hard time peeling off the skin. The tips of my fingers burned from trying to scrape the outside off each almond.
Since then, I’ve learned my lesson, and transcribed it into this recipe. Now you don’t have to experience that same struggle. You should be able to put the almond between your thumb and index finger and simply pinch ~ the almond will pop right out of the skin.
Honestly, the almonds are the trickiest part of this recipe. Once you get past the crust, it should be smooth sailing from there.
The filling is similar to a vegan cheesecake filling. Just like the almonds, don’t rush the cashews! Let them soak for the whole time to get a smooth texture when they’re blended. The crust is pretty sweet on it’s own, which is why you only need a tbsp of honey in the filling. The filling should be light and fluffy to balance out the sweetness and crunch of the crust.
Keep your pear on your crostata, not the floor,
Your favorite alternative chefs, K & T
Pear Crostata
Ingredients
Almond Crust
- 1½ cups almonds
- 1½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 egg separated
- ½ tsp almond extract
- Finely ground almond flour as needed
Filling
- 2 ripe pears sliced thin
- ¾ cups cashews soaked overnight
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp coconut cream
- Zest and juice of ½ a lemon
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- Coconut sugar
Instructions
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Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add almonds and blanch for 1 full minute. Drain the almonds in a colander and rinse with cold water. It should be easy to remove the almond skin now.
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Toss almonds in a food processor and blend until fine, add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Make sure to scrape down the sides as you go, so that you have an even blend.
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Add the 1 egg white to the food processor. Blend until it forms a nice paste. If your dough is too sticky, add a tbsp of almond flour at a time and blend until your dough forms a ball. Wrap the paste in seran wrap and cool for at least an hour.
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While the paste is cooling, you can make the filling. Blend the cashews in a food processor with honey, coconut cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
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Preheat oven to 375 F.
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Divide your paste into four pieces and roll into circles. Scoop some of your cashew filling into the center of each of the rounds. Layer the sliced pears over the filling and sprinkle with coconut sugar, then fold up the edges of the dough and brush with egg white.
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Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Serve with some whipped cream or ice cream!