Pear and almond tart combines a crisp shortcrust base, a soft almond filling and ripe fruit. It is a useful way to cook pears that are ready to eat, without hiding their flavour under a complicated topping. The pastry needs chilling, so allow around an hour and a half overall, depending on how you organise the preparation and how your oven bakes.
This recipe serves six to eight people in a 24–26 cm tart tin. Prepare the pastry first, then make the filling and fruit while it rests. Use pears that are ripe but still sound. Discard mouldy soft fruit rather than treating baking as a way to rescue it. (1)
Ingredients for the pastry and filling
For the shortcrust pastry:
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g cold butter, diced
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2–3 tablespoons cold water, as needed
- A pinch of salt
For the almond filling:
- 100 g softened butter
- 100 g caster sugar
- 100 g ground almonds
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tablespoon dark rum, optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the fruit and finish:
- 3–4 ripe pears
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 20 g butter
- A few flaked almonds
- A little apricot jam and warm water, optional, for glazing
The filling here is almond cream: butter, sugar, eggs and ground almonds. Frangipane also includes pastry cream. There is no need to make that additional preparation for this version. Conference, Williams or Comice pears can all work; the condition and juiciness of the individual fruit matter more than a variety name alone.
Make and chill the pastry
Mix the flour, icing sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the cold butter and rub it quickly into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the yolk, then cold water a spoonful at a time, stopping as soon as the dough comes together.
Bring it into a flattened round without kneading. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Avoid repeated handling: the aim is a crumbly pastry, not an elastic dough. If it becomes too soft while rolling, return it briefly to the fridge rather than adding large amounts of flour.
Mix the almond cream
Stir the softened butter and caster sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions. Fold in the ground almonds, vanilla and optional rum. Use butter that is soft enough to blend but not melted.
A spoon or spatula is sufficient. You want an even mixture rather than a heavily whipped filling. If you are not assembling the tart promptly, keep the mixture refrigerated and let it soften enough to spread when needed. The rum can simply be omitted.
Prepare the pears
Peel the pears, halve them and remove the cores. Leave them in halves for a more pronounced fruit shape, or cut into slices for a flatter arrangement. Handle very ripe fruit gently so it does not break into purée.
Melt the 20 g butter with the tablespoon of sugar in a frying pan. Place the fruit cut-side down and cook over medium heat for about three to four minutes, adjusting for its ripeness. You are lightly colouring it, not cooking it until it collapses. Lift it out and let excess juice drain before assembly.
Very juicy pears need particular care: do not pour the pan liquid over the almond cream. If the fruit is already very soft, shorten this stage. The final texture should still give distinct pieces of pear within the baked filling.
Line the tin and bake
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line the tart tin. Prick the base with a fork. For a crisper base, especially with juicy fruit, you can blind-bake it for about ten minutes using baking paper and weights before adding the filling.
Spread the almond cream evenly in the pastry case, leaving room for it to rise. Arrange the pears on top and scatter with flaked almonds. Do not fill right to the rim: the fruit and cream both take up space.
Bake for approximately 35–40 minutes, checking the tart rather than relying only on the clock. The pastry edges should be coloured and the filling golden and set in the centre. Tin material, fruit moisture and oven performance can change the time required. Cover the top loosely if it browns before the centre is ready.
Finish and serve
For a light glaze, warm a little apricot jam with enough water to make it brushable. Apply a thin coat to the warm fruit. This finish is optional; the tart can be served without it. Let the filling settle and the pastry firm up before slicing or removing it from the tin.
Serve warm rather than straight from the oven. A little plain cream can accompany it, but the pears and almond filling already provide a complete dessert. If using a ready-made pastry case or sheet, follow its own handling instructions and check that the quantity fits the tin.
Variations and useful leftovers
A small amount of cinnamon or cardamom can change the flavour without altering the structure. For individual tartlets, divide pastry and filling between smaller tins and check them earlier: the baking time is not the same as for one large tart.
Do not describe an improvised flour substitution as a guaranteed gluten-free version. A suitable pastry recipe and checks on all ingredients are needed if that matters to a guest. This tart also contains almonds, eggs and dairy.
If you want further ideas for ingredients already in the kitchen, Frigonaut is a French-language resource to explore. Check the recipe quantities against what you actually have rather than assuming every ingredient can be replaced without affecting the result.
Keeping the tart
Refrigerate the cooled tart within two hours of preparation and use the covered leftovers within 48 hours. (2) Warm only the portions you plan to serve. A short spell in a moderate oven can help the pastry, but reheating does not correct poor storage.
For freezing, portion the freshly cooled tart, wrap well and label it. Defrost in the refrigerator. Expect the fruit and pastry texture to change slightly; freezing is an option for planning ahead, not a way to extend the life of tart already kept for several days.
Sources
(1) https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/molds-food-are-they-dangerous
(2) https://agriculture.gouv.fr/cuisiner-fait-maison-comment-eviter-les-intoxications-alimentaires
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