Mix flour and cocoa in a bowl. Add fat, 1 egg and 3 tablespoons of sugar and knead with the dough hooks of the hand mixer to a smooth shortcrust pastry. Cover and put in a cool place for 1-2 hours.
In the meantime, wash, peel and halve the pears and cut out the core. Cut the pear halves several times with a sharp knife. Bring 1/4 litre water, approx. 50 g sugar and lemon juice to the boil, add the pears and steam covered for approx. 5 minutes.
Drain the pears and let them cool down. Grease a quiche and fruitcake tin (28 cm Ø). Roll out a thin layer of short pastry and line the mould with it. Prick the base several times with a fork. Put pears in the tin.
Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the pulp. Mix vanilla pulp, cream, remaining eggs and sugar. Pour over the pears. In the preheated oven (electric cooker: 200°C/ gas: level 3) on the 2nd rung of the oven.
Bake from the bottom for about 45 minutes. Cover at the end if necessary. Let the cake cool down in the tin on a cake rack. Heat up the apricot jam, pass through a sieve and coat the cake with it.
Sprinkle with sugar crystals. Makes about 12 pieces.