Pear Frangipane Tart

Prepare to be blown away by this delectable pear frangipane tart! A layer of almond cream cushions slices of pears in a sweet shortcrust pastry.
The different components can be made in advance, so if you have the frangipane made and crust baked, the tart is ready in 30 minutes!

From what I hear fall is a very popular season.

The weather, the clothes, the colors, and crisp air all contribute to a good mood. If you add a pear frangipane tart to that list, it grows exponentially.

Let’s go over each component of this recipe.

First, let’s talk about pears.

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

So don’t worry because this pear tart is amazing with our 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 in thin slices. That way I can use them raw and the skin turns golden and adds another texture to the tart. But that is optional. Peel them if that’s your preference.

Many times the pears are cooked beforehand when making this recipe. I don’t see the point of that extra step if the fruit is ripe, not mushy, and is cut in thin slices.

Second, the frangipane, a.k.a. almond cream.

There is a whole post devoted to frangipane on this blog because it deserves it. It is an almond cream that comes together in 15 minutes and can be frozen.

For me, it is a basic recipe, one that is very versatile and can be used as part of other recipes such as Apricot Tart and Strawberry Danish Braid to name a few. All of them delicious of course.

Third, the sweet shortcrust pastry (or sweet pie crust).

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

This sweet crust is different but easy to make. It can be frozen and works very well with fruit tarts such as this one.

There are a few things to take into consideration.

Blind baking the crust:

Other recipes you might like:
Apricot Frangipane Tart
Strawberry Almond Danish Braid
Chocolate Raspberry Tart
Pear Pecan Upside-down Cake
Pear Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Coconut Lemon Dulce de Leche Tart
Lattice Fig Jam Tart

Pear Frangipane Tart

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 90
• Cook Time: 40
• Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 -8 servings 1x
• Category: Pies & Tarts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: French

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Description

Prepare to be blown away by this delectable pear frangipane tart! A layer of almond cream cushions slices of pears in a sweet shortcrust pastry.
The different components can be made in advance, so if you have the frangipane made and crust baked, the tart is ready in 30 minutes!

The estimated time below takes into account making the dough. If you already have a baked crust, the total time is about 30 minutes.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• ½ recipe Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (or graham cracker dough or your favorite sweet crust)
• 1 ½ cups almond cream or Frangipane
• 3 pears
• 2 Tbs sliced almonds (optional, I didn’t use them)
• Powdered sugar (for serving)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
2. Have ready a pre-baked sweet crust according to recipe (link above). I use a rectangular tart pan with removable bottom, but it can also be made in an 8-inch round or square pie pan with removable bottom.
3. Cut pears in half, core them, peel half of them, or all of them if you want, and cut each half into slices.
4. Spread a layer of the almond cream in the bottom of the dough with the aid of a spoon, being careful not to tear the dough.
5. Put the pear slices on top in a row, or however you want. Sprinkle with sliced almonds if using.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pears have started to soften and release some juice, the almond cream is puffed and the crust is golden.
7. Let cool on wire rack, remove from pan onto a serving platter, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

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Notes

Tips & tricks for making this recipe.

• Pears: this recipe works great with Bartlett pears or any other variety you like. You can use canned ones; take into account 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 in 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. The ratio of almond cream and pears is important.
• Variation: Apples work great here too, as do plums. If you’re feeling festive, use some pistachios 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.
• Keeping: it can be kept at room t°, 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. I don’t suggest freezing it after baking.
• Freezing: what can be frozen is the frangipane and the sweet crust (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.

Keywords: pear tart, pear almond tart

Paula Montenegro

A baker for more than 30 years, I love testing recipes and sharing the best of what I find. I'm mostly self-taught with some time spent in baking school. I believe we can all be bakers and cooks with the right instructions and simple ingredients. If you're craving easy recipes with amazing results, you're in the right place. Let's get into the kitchen!