Prepare to be captivated by this fantastic, and very French, pear frangipane tart! A layer of almond cream cushions slices of pears in a sweet pie dough. The different components can be made in advance, so if you have them ready, the tart is out of the oven in 30 minutes! Use a traditional round, square, or rectangular pie pan as I did (it looks gorgeous on a dessert table).
Pears + almonds = fabulous tart
Fall is a very popular season. The weather, the clothes, the colors, and the crisp air contribute to a good mood. If you add a pear almond tart to that list, it grows exponentially.
I'm always rooting for pears as one of the star fruits of the season, but I know not everyone is on board, because, you know, apples. So showcasing them in a simple tart with almonds is a great idea. This beauty is also known as tarte bourdaloue aux poivres, which is the French name. Very chic, like the tart itself.
It also highlights another extraordinary French concoction: frangipane, an incredibly easy-to-make almond cream.
It adds sweetness, texture and a unique almond flavor to everything it touches, from croissants with almond cream for breakfast to other fruit pies besides pears, like this apple tart recipe (told you they always make an appearance), or the more summery apricot raspberry tart.
Step-by-step VIDEO
Testing Notes
- Type of pie pan: You need a tart pan with a removable bottom. Use a round tart pan for a classic presentation. I love the idea of rectangular tarts. They all work.
- Should you peel the pears? It's up to you. I leave the skin on, depending on how thin it is, and cut thin slices. The skin turns golden, adding another texture to the tart. But that is optional. Peel them if that's your preference. Sometimes I only peel half of the fruit and leave the rest skin-on.
- You can also cut the pears into thicker wedges. They will not soften as much during baking.
- Don't add too much almond cream filling; it will overpower the pear flavor and be too sweet. The ratio of almond cream and pears is important.
- However you arrange the pear slices is fine. The tart will taste amazing, no matter the pattern.
- Fresh vs. canned pears. The first option is 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.
- Though it can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for a few days or in the fridge for several days, 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 recommend freezing it after baking.
- It's almost a last-minute dessert if you have the tart dough and almond cream made ahead. You can refrigerate or freeze the frangipane. You can have the pan lined with the tart dough and frozen, ready to blind-bake and fill.
Prepare the crust
There are 3 parts to this recipe: sweet crust, almond filling and pears.
Tart dough
We use the crisp and sweet French pâte sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry). This is the classic crust for thin pies.
It's snappier and not as flaky as traditional American pie crusts, but wonderful to work with! I find it's a great one for beginners.
It can be frozen.
Blind-baking
This is the process of pre-baking pie dough with a weight on top. It's completely covered with parchment paper or foil ("blind").
It prevents soggy crusts: It creates a dry layer so the filling seeps as little as possible.
It keeps the shape: Without chilling, pricking, and blind baking, dough tends to puff and shrink. Pre-baking helps it hold its form.
For more details, click for step-by-step photos of blind baking.
The filling
Almond layer
It's an almond cream that comes together in 15 minutes and can be frozen.
There is a whole post devoted to frangipane because it deserves it.
A thin layer of this almond filling is spread on the pre-baked sweet crust. It will puff in the oven and add a wonderful buttery almond flavor.
Pear layer
This pear tart is amazing with everyday Bartlett or Williams pears, the most common ones. They are delicious, juicy and perfect when in season. Here is more info about pear varieties if you want to add new ones to your baking.
How ripe should they be? Make sure they are only just ripe or even on the firm side, so they can still hold well after baking.
Baking
The result is golden, juicy, and amazing. We want enough fruit so the rest of the components don't overpower it.
This tart is excellent served warm with ice cream on top. A dusting of powdered sugar is pretty when you serve it right after it's made.
Variations
- Fruit: Apples work great, as do plums and apricots.
- 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.
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French Pear Almond Tart
Ingredients
Sweet tart dough:
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
Almond cream:
- ½ cup whole almonds, or almond flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 egg white, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Pear filling:
- 3 pears
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, optional
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
For the tart crust:
- I use a rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom, but it can also be made in an 8-inch round or square pie pan with removable bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180°C.
- Cream ½ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a large bowl with a spatula until smooth. Add ¾ cup powdered sugar and mix until incorporated.
- Add 1 egg and mix with the spatula or a fork. It will not be smooth or completely incorporated and that is fine.
- Add 1 cup flour and pinch salt. Mix it, but don't wait until the flour is completely incorporated and add the remaining ¾ cup flour. Now, mix it until it's mostly incorporated. Use the spatula to slide and fold the dough. A few dry spots might remain.
- Turn the uneven dough onto a clean surface or counter and mix with your hands, trying to make it come together but handling it as little as possible. The more you handle it, the softer the butter gets and the tougher the crust will be after it's baked. So, a quick, light touch is the best. Don't knead it like you would bread.
- When you have a smooth dough ball, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. While the crust is resting, you can make the almond cream.
- When ready to roll, take the dough from the fridge and let barely soften at room temperature. The dough must still be cold. Simply wait until you can start to roll it, but not until it is very soft. This is important to ensure a tender dough.
- On a lightly floured counter, start rolling the dough disc, making sure you do quarter turns (I do them to the left) often to ensure the dough is not sticking and adding more flour to the counter if it is sticking.
- Once you have rolled the dough a few inches larger than the pan, fold it in half and place it in the middle of the pan. It's soft, so handle with care.
- Open the dough and line the pan, being careful not to stretch the dough. Use your hands to lower the dough and reach the union between the bottom and sides of the pie pan. If it tears, press it back together with your fingers and pat an extra piece of dough (from the scraps) if necessary.
- Go over the rim of the pan with the rolling pin to remove excess dough.
- Prick the bottom with a fork, freeze for 20 minutes, or put it in the refrigerator for 1 hour. At this point, you can leave the dough frozen in the pan, wrapped in plastic, for up to a month.
- How to prepare a pie crust for blind baking: take out the cold, lined pie pan from the fridge or freezer. Cut a piece of aluminum paper that is larger than the tart pan. Line the inside of the pan by covering the cold dough with it and adjusting it so that it takes the shape of the dough. You can also use parchment paper, but it's usually coarser and more difficult to make it take the shape of the pan and cover the dough well. Add weight. I use round ceramic weights that you can buy online, but you can add any raw grains and legumes such as beans, lentils, rice or even flour (simply fill the aluminum paper with flour or rice or whatever you're using until you have added a layer of weight that will be enough to keep the paper down during baking. Bake for 15 minutes. It might be a few minutes more or less depending on the type of pie crust, but the idea is to let the dough bake and dry out enough so that we can lift the aluminum paper without it attaching to the raw dough. The paper should lift easily and the dough below will be half baked, very lightly golden. Fill and bake further following instructions in the recipe for the tart or pie you're making.
For the almond cream:
- In the food processor (using whole almonds): process ½ cup whole almonds and ⅓ cup sugar until almonds are in coarse pieces.
- Scatter ¼ cup unsalted butter in pieces and 1 egg white. Process until it all becomes a cream.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon almond extract and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, if using, and process *just* to mix.
- By hand (using almond flour): combine ½ cup almond flour and ⅓ cup sugar.
- Add ¼ cup unsalted butter and 1 egg white and whisk energetically until it's well integrated and creamy.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon almond extract and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, if using, and mix just until combined well.
- For both options: Transfer to an airtight container or bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated for a few weeks or frozen for up to a month.
To assemble the pear tart:
- Cut 3 pears in half, core them, peel them if you want, and cut each half into slices.
- Spread the almond cream in the bottom of the dough with a spoon or offset spatula, careful not to tear the dough.
- Put the pear slices on top in a row, circle if using a round pan, or however you want to.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pears start to soften and release some juice, the almond cream is puffed and the crust is golden.
- If sprinkling with 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, do so mid-baking. If you add them from the start, they might burn before the tart is done.
- Let cool on a wire rack, remove from the pan onto a serving platter, and sprinkle with a little 1 teaspoon powdered sugar before serving.
german in pdx says
Paula, what a beautiful delicious looking tart! It is stunning!!!
Happy second day of spring to you my friend 🙂 ~ Bea
Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Your tart looks beautiful! Looks like something you would get at a gourmet bakery!
Family foodie says
Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous tart! This is one that I will be making very soon.
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
I love pears and anything with graham crackers. This looks like a winner!
Cocoa and Lavender says
I love pears and frangipane together - has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid! Love the graham cracker crust on this, too. I bet it tastes fine! Even though today is the first day of autumn, we are still waiting for temperatures to cool a bit. However, the pears in the market are amazing now. ~ David
David Scott Allen says
So funny that the timing in this is almost the same as six years ago! I remember this tart well, and I made it with a graham cracker crust but still think I prefer the butter crust. Either way, pear and frangipane still rock my world!
Paula Montenegro says
jaja love your memory David! It was good with the graham dough, but this one is sooo good! Traditional French recipes should not be touched!
Kitchen Riffs says
Great tart! So pretty. We have a lot of great looking pears in the store at the moment, so this recipe would be perfect for them. Lovely pictures, too. Good stuff - thanks.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Paula!
This Pear Almond Graham Cracker Tart is gorgeous!!! and I love the new blog design and your photo! 🙂 I'm so glad you saved this one and shared it with us today! Love how you left the pears somewhat big and kind of chunky. . looks so lovely and I'm sure it's heaven with the almond cream!! LOVE!
Deb says
What a magnificent pear tart! I can imagine the incredible fragrance of graham crackers, pears and almond cream!
Just lovely Paula!
cquek says
THis one is a definite keeper
Kim @ Treats and Trinkets says
This is so pretty, and it sounds like it tastes even better!
Laura Dembowski says
This tart is beautiful and looks like it came from the best fancy bakery! You are a very talented baker, Paula. I wish it was spring here today, though it, like fall, can be a very strange season, cold one day, warm the next.
Nicole @ Daily Dish Recipes says
Paula, this is absolutely gorgeous. The crust is amazing... who doesn't love graham crackers and then that pear and almond and yes, yes, yes.
Your photos are stunning!
Conni Foodiearmywife Smith says
This is simply a work of art. Gorgeous!
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez says
I can totally see this at my holiday table, Paula. I love the graham base...and it would definitely pair perfectly with a bit of spice. Just lovely!
And I love your new site design. It seems like it's been a while since I've dropped by (sorry about that...the craziness that is life), so I may be late in saying it - very nice!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
I love the graham cracker dough crust, Paula. I am not a huge fan or "regular" crust, so this is the perfect balance between a traditional pastry crust and a graham cracker crumb crust. I may have to try this for my pumpkin pie this year.
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom says
A gorgeous tart. I bet it is as delicious as it looks!
Silvia says
Buenos días, Paula.
He de hacerte una confesión: estoy perezosa para leer en inglés. Mal de mi parte prque ahora veo que no solo me he perdido algunas recetas (¡con fotos!) impresionantes, sino también el cambio de look/fotografía.
Muy buena, MUY buena tu foto de perfil.
Esta tarta es una delicia. No sabía lo que decís acerca del otoño... quizá sea por mi naturaleza meditabunda y hasta retraída, entonces, que el otoño es desde siempre mi estación favorita.
Mi cariño.
Medeja says
This tart looks so beautiful. I think I would like to try it with all- pears, apples and plums 🙂
Stacy says
What a beautiful tart, Paula! Those are wonderful flavors any time of the year. It's still very warm here so I am not "feeling" Fall, but your lovely tart would put me in the mood.
The Ninja Baker says
Amazing - as the hipsters in Santa Monica would say. Your graham cracker recipes are on my to-do list...The lemon cream may be next!
P.s. Gorgeous photography, too =)