Pear Frangipane Tart

Ingredient list

• Pears: fresh are always encouraged, but this tart can be made with canned pears. If available, try to choose unsweetened ones, as the almond filling is sweet enough. Some recipes use poached pears (cooked) but I like raw ones that will have some bite after they're baked.
• Tart dough: we use the French pate sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry), which is crisp and sweet.
• Almond cream: also known as frangipane, it's a fantastic and easy-to-make filling that can be made in advance.

See the recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.

The tart crust

Sweet shortcrust pastry is a French sweet pie crust. Or tart crust. You know they are more prone to thinner pies than the American ones.

This sweet crust is different but easy to make. It's snappier and not as flaky.

It can be frozen and works very well with fruit tarts like this or the chocolate raspberry tart.

Blind baking the crust

Blind baking is pre-baking the dough with weight on top. It is called blind because the raw pie dough is completely covered with paper (aluminum foil or parchment paper).

Why is this step recommended?

• To prevent a soggy crust: some fillings tend to seep into the unbaked dough while baking, so this step ensures that the dough develops a dry layer before the tart is filled and is not soggy after it is baked.
• To keep the shape: if left to chance without refrigerating, pricking, and blind baking, the pie dough will puff and shrink as it bakes. We don't want that. We want it to keep its shape and have enough space for the filling.

For more details, click for step-by-step photos of blind baking.

The pears

By now, we all know a fair amount of pear varieties are good for baking, especially this time of year. But they are not available everywhere, like bosc pears, for example.

So don't worry because this pear tart is amazing with the wonderful everyday Bartlett or Williams pears (image below).

I think they are the most common ones. And they are delicious and juicy and perfect when in season.

But use whatever type you like the most for baking. Make sure they are only just ripe. Or even firm. So they can still hold well after baking them.

I leave the skin on and cut them into thin slices. I use them raw; the skin turns golden, adding another texture to the tart. But that is optional. Peel them if that's your preference.

The pears are often cooked beforehand (poaching) when making this recipe. I don't see the point of that extra step because they will be baked further and might turn mushy.

Here is more info about pear varieties if you want to add new ones to your baking.

Assembling the pear tart

Type of pan: you need a tart pan with a removable bottom. Besides that, it can be round, rectangular, or square. Choose your favorite.

A thin layer of this almond filling is spread on the pre-baked sweet crust.

The pears are then arranged over the almond cream.

Vintage Kitchen tip: don't add too much almond cream filling; it will overpower the pear flavor and be too sweet. Whatever way you arrange the pear slices is fine. The tart will taste amazing, no matter the pattern.

Variations

• Fruit: Apples work great, as do plums.
  Nuts: if you're feeling festive, use some pistachios or hazelnuts instead of almonds in the cream, that would be just amazing, and you can invite me for a cup of coffee and a slice of tart.
• Flavorings: use a dash of ground cinnamon, cardamom, or drops of vanilla extract in the filling for another layer of flavor.

Kitchen notes

• Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
• Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
• Pears: this recipe works great with Bartlett pears or any other variety you like. You can use canned ones; consider that they will be much softer after baking. I leave the skin on and love how it colors during baking (image above). You can also cut the pears into thicker wedges. They will be crunchier because they will not bake as much when the tart is done.
• Crust: I am a big fan of this Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, but most sweet pie crusts will work as long as they're on the sweet side. Make sure the crust is blind-baked first.
• Frangipane: use a nice layer, but don't overdo it, as it's a very sweet mixture. The ratio of almond cream and pears is important.
• Keeping: it can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for a few days or in the fridge for several days, but the pears will lose their shine and dry out a bit. You can brush a very thin layer of apricot jam on top before serving. But I don't suggest freezing it after baking.
• Freezing: you can freeze the frangipane and the sweet tart dough (already in the pan before pre-baking it).
• Serving: this tart is amazing served warm with ice cream on top. A dusting of powdered sugar is pretty when you serve it right after it's made.