French Pear & Almond Tart (Tarte Bourdaloue)

A long-time staple in French pâtisseries, this French Pear & Almond Tart (Tarte Bourdaloue) is elegant, refined and absolutely scrumptious. Tart pears and decadent frangipane are nestled within a rich, biscuity All Butter Shortcrust Pastry base to create a deceptively easy dessert that will have your guests begging for another piece!

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8
Skill Level: easy

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Where to buy Carême Pastry

Ingredients

1x 400g pack Carême All Butter Shortcrust Pastry, defrosted
4 pears, peeled, cored & quartered
1 cup caster sugar
1 litre water
1 cinnamon stick (optional).
For the frangipane filling
100g softened unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
100g eggs (2-3, remove some of the white if needed), whisked
100g almond meal (ground almonds)
40g plain flour
Pinch salt.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C non-fan). Line a loose base 23cm tart tin with pastry, pressing the pastry into the edges of the pan. Place into the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.
In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the sugar and water, simmering until the sugar dissolves. Turn heat down to low, then add the pears (and cinnamon if using). Create a circle of baking paper with a small hole cut out of the centre, and use it to cover the saucepan. Simmer for 15-25 minutes, or until you meet no resistance when inserting a knife into the pears. Once cooked, remove the pears with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.

For the frangipane filling

Using a stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar using a paddle attachment, until pale in colour.
Whisk eggs in a small bowl, slowly add to butter and sugar whilst mixing on medium, mix until combined. Don’t worry if it looks a little ugly at this point.
Add the ground almonds, flour and a pinch of salt, mix until just combined.

To finish the dish

Fill the tart case with frangipane filling and top with the sliced poached pears. Fill any gaps with sliced almonds (optional) or extra pear. Place into the oven to bake at 180°C for 45 minutes, or until lightly golden.