Crustless Almond Pear Tarts

from today's NY Times, this is a perfect autumn dessert. you can now buy almond flour at trader joes, or you can grind up your own in a food processor.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• For the frangipani

• 1  cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1  cup sugar
• 2  cups  almond flour
• 5  large eggs, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1  teaspoon lemon, zest of
• 2  tablespoons dark rum
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour, plus
• 1⁄2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• For the pears

• 4  ripe pears, peeled,halved and cored
•  vanilla ice cream or  frozen yogurt, optional.

Directions

1. Make frangipani: Combine butter, sugar and almond flour in an electric mixer, and beat until smooth.
2. Do not overbeat.
3. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl after each addition.
4. Stir in vanilla, lemon zest and rum.
5. Stir in all-purpose flour until just combined.
6. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
7. Fill 8 3-inch nonstick tartlet pans halfway with frangipani.
8. Using a sharp paring knife, cut pear halves into very thin slices at an angle, leaving slices slightly attached at one end.
9. Place one on top of each tart, pressing down lightly to fan out slices so fruit lies almost flat against frangipani.
10. Place tartlet pans on a baking sheet, and bake until frangipani is set, about 20 minutes.
11. Place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
12. Run a sharp paring knife around edge of each tartlet, then slip tart out.
13. Place each on a dessert plate, and serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with ice cream or yogurt.