Flaugnarde aux poires et à la noix de coco (Pear and coconut flognarde)

To test out my newly aquired Pyrex flan dish, I made this coconut pear flaugnarde. 

Pear and coconut flognarde

Ingredients

10" pie dish

3 large Conference pears, halved lengthwise, cored and sliced thinly
4 large eggs 
1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
1 tbsp pear brandy or cognac
¼ C xylitol
½ C almond flour, sifted
⅛ tsp pink salt
400ml coconut milk 
½ tsp orange blossom water, optional
½ C natural unsweetened coconut flakes
½ C almond flakes
Coconut oil or unsalted butter, for baking dish

Instructions

1. Grease a 10" glass fluted flan dish (or cast iron skillet, ceramic tart dish, or 9½" pie plate) and set aside. 
2. Preheat oven (static heat, no fan) to 190℃.
3. Layer the pear slices over the bottom of the dish.
   
4. In a large bowl, blend the eggs, vanilla, pear brandy, xylitol, almond flour, salt, coconut milk, and orange blossom water if using, until smooth. The mixture will be thin and liquidy.
   
5. Pour the mixture over the pears. Sprinkle the coconut and almond flakes over.
   
6. Bake until set (but with a slight wobble) and golden on the top, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand in the dish on a rack for 10-15 minutes. 
   
7. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
   

This is a light, eggy dessert that's similar flan but, obviously, with fruit. I didn't have pear brandy so used a cognac instead, and it worked out fine. The conference pears cooked well, yielding a crisp, subtly sweet flavour. And though they were awkward to fan out in the bottom of the dish, the layers turned out quite pretty when cut into wedges.