Day 1

Make crust.

• Combine flour and 4 Tbs sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Add pieces of butter and rub into flour with your fingertips. Make a well in the center, add egg, vanilla extract, and water and mix with your fingertips until you have a smooth dough. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Make pears.

• In a large saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and split vanilla bean. Bring to a simmer to dissolve sugar.
• Peel, halve, and core pears.
• Place pears in simmering sugar water, cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they can be pierced easily with a knife. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

For custard.

• Measure the 6 1/2 Tbs sugar into a small bowl. Bury a vanilla bean in the center. Cover and let sit overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place 1 cup hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast 10 to 12 minutes, or until skins split and start peeling off. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Rub hazelnuts with a dish towel to remove remaining skins. Place in a closed container overnight.

Day 2.

For crust.

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Roll out crust and press into a 10-inch tart pan. Pierce bottom all over with fork. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden browned. Let cool completely.

For Custard

• Grind 3/4 cup of hazelnuts by placing in a food processor and pulsing until finely ground. Set aside.
• Bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs into cornstarch one at a time. Remove vanilla bean from the container of sugar, and whisk in the 6 1/2 Tbs of sugar.
• While whisking vigorously, slowly add the still-hot milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan, heat until the custard is very thick. Remove from heat.
• Stir ground hazelnuts into custard, then spread into cooled tart crust.

For pears.

• Drain pears and arrange on top of custard.

For topping.

• Chop remaining hazelnuts.
• Melt chocolate, drizzle over the pears, and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
• Chill at least 2 hours before serving.