Pear and Almond Tart (French 'Tarte Bourdaloue')
Bourdaloue Almond and Pear Tart, named after the Parisian street where it was invented in the 1900s. A sweet pâte sucrée tart base with almonds filled with Williams pears and almond cream, glazed and topped with slivered almonds and macarons.
Equipment
- 28cm/11-inch tart tin with removable bottom
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry or use ready-made shortcrust
- 125 g (4.5oz/½ cup) unsalted butter softened
- 75 g (3oz/½ cup) icing (powdered) sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt (fleur de sel, Maldon or Celtic salt)
- 1 organic egg
- 225 g (8oz/1.87 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour Type 45
- 25 g (1oz/¼ cup) ground almonds/almond flour
Pear and Almond Cream Filling:
- 6 half pears tinned
- 100 g (3.5oz/scant ½ cup) unsalted butter softened
- 75 g (3oz/ ⅓ cup) sugar
- 2 eggs organic
- 3 drops almond extract
- 100 g (3.5oz/1 cup) ground almonds (almond flour)
- 2 tablespoon good quality dark rum
- 20 g (handful) slivered almonds
Glaze:
- 100 g (3.5oz) apricot jam slightly warmed
Instructions
Sweet Pastry for the Tart Shell:
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle beater (otherwise mix by hand but use cold butter), mix the butter, sugar and salt until pale and creamy. Gradually add the egg, flour and ground almonds until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Wrap in cling film (plastic wrap) and chill in the fridge for an hour.
- Leave to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes then roll out the pastry to about 3-4mm on a lightly floured surface. Wrap the pastry around the rolling pin to transfer to the tart tin.
- Using your fingers, press the pastry right into the sides of the tin. Roll the rolling pin over the top to even off the pastry, prick with a fork then chill for 30 minutes.
Pear and Almond Filling:
- Drain the pear halves from the syrup on kitchen paper. When dry, cut them in slices horizontally (optional).
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy either by hand using a wooden spoon or in a mixer/food processor. Add the eggs, almond extract, ground almonds and rum.
- Spread over this mixture evenly over the tart base using a palette knife (or pipe it out in a spiral). For a 28cm tin, this will look quite thin but it will puff up in the oven and keep your tart golden and crispy.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan/Gas 6). Using a palette knife, carefully transfer the pears evenly over the top and sprinkle with the slivered almonds.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 or until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the tin and brush over with the apricot jam.
Notes
Tart Crust: For more detailed instructions, see the complete recipe for pâte sucrée. There's no need to blind bake the pastry, as long as it's well chilled before filling.
To Glaze - see my recipe for apricot jam.
Optional, traditional decor: top with macaron shells - just follow the recipe for raspberry macarons, and omit the colouring to make plain shells.
Nutritional Information: 387 calories per serving; 6g protein; 29g carbohydrates; 26g fat.
Nutrition
Calories: 387kcal
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