Of course you need a Pear and Almond Tart recipe. This is the simplest version that will give you a spectacular tart with buttery melt in your mouth crust filled with lightly spiced poached pears and almond frangipane. This is the tart my whole family loves- yes, even my son who doesn’t care for sweets and pastries loves this.
While making a tart can be intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. I’ve broken this down into it’s three components so it’s easier to process. For example, the shortcrust base can be made a few days before, so you don’t have to rush on the day you need it. Also the pastry is very forgiving, but is unbelievably mouthwatering . I may have gone all out with the Poached Pears, chucking in every flavour I love. There’s the pungent star anise, the warmth of cardamon and the floral sweetness of Vanilla. However, it’s not a deal breaker if you don’t have/like any of these things. The pears can be poached in a simple sugar syrup and some orange peel.
Shortcrust Base
There are three components to this Pear and Almond Tart. Lets work from the bottom up. The base is made up of shortcrust pastry. Don’t be intimidated to make your own, as it’s pretty straightforward to make, and though there’s a bit of waiting for the dough to rest and you have to measure accurately it is not rocket science and anyone can do it. I have made a few tarts in my time, and my pastry still looks patchy. However, it doesn’t really matter as it gets filled up. No one is going to notice because it tastes sensational. If it makes you feel better, have a pre made shortcrust pastry on hand, just in case yours meet an accident, that you can’t recover from. For this tart I used a 23cm (9 inch) round tin.
Poached Pears
Choose pears that are firm and not overly ripe. There are pear varieties out there that are suitable for poaching like Packham , Beurre Bosc, or Bartlett. These varieties keep their shape when cooked and taste wonderfully tart and sweet. The cheap small ones usually sold in packs are ideal for this recipe. The pears in this tart are poached in sugar syrup infused with the exotic flavours of cinnamon, star anise and my favourite cardamom. If you only have one of the three spices , that’s also fine. It’s even okay to use just vanilla and a bit of orange peel. Poaching only takes 15 minutes but In a pinch you can substitute it with canned whole pears, sliced and sprinkled with cinnamon to give it an extra sparkle. Of course, home poached is unbeatable in flavour an texture.
Love fruits ? Here’s another easy peasy fruity recipe for you to try Quince Pistacio and Yoghurt Cake. Incidentally, this can also be made with Poached Pears with pleasing results.
Almond Frangipane
Frangipane is a sweet almond custard used extensively as tart fillings. While it sounds very fancy, it is actually super easy to make, takes no time at all and can be made by hand if you don’t have a mixer. The following recipe calls for almond flour or almond meal. But if you’re feeling even fancier , you can also make this using ground pistachios for a super duper tart.
Easy does it…make the base, poach the pears and make the frangipane
- Make the base
- Poach the Pears
- Assemble and Bake
Pear and Almond Tart
8-10
servings30
minutes2
hoursIngredients
- Tart Base (23cm)
2 cups Plain Flour
1/3 cup Caster Sugar
150g Cold Butter,cubed
1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste
1 Egg Yolk
- Spiced Poach Pears
1 cup Sugar, brown or white
3 Pears,firm slightly ripe, peeled and cored but left whole
3 Star Anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
3 Cardamom Pods, bruised or 1 /2 teaspoon ground Cardamom
Orange Peel strips from 1/2 an Orange
- Frangipane Filling
100g butter
1/2 cup Caster Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste
2 Eggs,room temperature
1 cup Almond Flour/Meal
2 tablespoons Plain Flour
Finely grated zest of half an Orange
- To serve
Icing Sugar for dusting,optional
Ice Cream, optional
Directions
- Tart Base
- Combine flour and sugar in a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until well blended. Add the cubed butter and process until it resembles bread crumbs. Add the vanilla and egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of cold water and continue to process until the dough comes together.
- Tip the dough into a clean floured and knead and shape into a disc. Place the disc in between 2 sheets of baking paper or plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to roll the dough large enough to cover the base and sides of your tart tin. For this tart, I used a round 23cm tin.
- Lightly spray tart tin with cooking oil. Slide the dough into the tart tin and use your fingers to push the dough tightly into the sides of the tin. If there is a crack or bald patch, simply use the trimmings to patch it up. Use a fork to prick the base all over. Place in the fridge to rest for about an hour. Meanwhile make the poached pears and the frangipane filling.
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Remove tart shell from the fridge and use a small sharp knife to trim the edges. Patch any cracks with the trimmings. Line the tart with a square of baking paper large enough to cover it. Place uncooked rice or any other baking weights on top of the baking paper. Place the tart tin on another baking tray (for easier handling). Bake the tart shell for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the baking paper and the baking weights used, and bake the tart shell for another 10 minutes or until it is golden brown.
- Poached Pears
- Place sugar in a saucepan large enough to accomodate 3 pears. Add the star anise, cinnamon stick , orange peel and bruised cardamom pods. Add 1 cup of water and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the pears to the saucepan and add more water to cover the pears. Place a round of baking paper on top to cover.
- Cook on medium heat until it boils, reduce to simmer and cook for 12 minutes or until the pears are fork tender but still firm. Do not over cook. Remove from heat and set aside the pears in the poaching liquid to cool. Then transfer to a plate that’s lined in paper towel to drain the excess liquid.
- Almond Frangipane
- In a mixing bowl , combine caster sugar and butter and mix on medium speed, until creamy.
- Add 1 egg and half the almond meal and mix to combine. Add the egg and the rest of the almond meal plus the plain flour vanilla and orange zest and mix just until everything is incorporated.
- Tart Assembly
- Fill the pre baked tart shell with the frangipane filling. Use the back of the spoon or an offset spatula to level off the filling. Do not overfill, as the frangipane will rise slightly when baked and the pears also add bulk.
- Cut the pears in half, then slice the pears thinly but do not separate the slices. Use a spatula to place a pear half on top of the frangipane filling with the narrow end pointing towards the centre. Fan the slices slightly as you place it down. Repeat for the remaining pear slices spacing them in a radiating pattern around the tart. Refer photos.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until the frangipane is set and golden.
- Remove tart from the oven and cool in the tin.
- To serve:
- Carefully slide the tart out of the tart tin into a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar or brush with warmed up apricot jam for a shiny finish. Garnish with pistachio pieces if desired.
- Slice and serve by itself or with a scoop of your favourite ice cream.
Notes
- The tart shell can be made a few days ahead. The tart is best eaten on the day it’s made but will keep for a few days covered in room temperature. Australian Measurement standards used.
Maybe I’ve missed it, but I can’t see a size specification for the tart tin 🤷♀️
This looks wonderful Adele. Thank you.
What size Tart tin did you use for Pear & Almond tart, please !
For this Tart I used a 23cm Tart tin.