Tarte Bourdaloue - Pear Almond Tart

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Description

Bourdaloue Almond Pear Tart, named after the Parisian street where it was invented in the 1900s. A shortcrust tart base filled with Williams pears and almond cream, glazed and topped with slivered almonds and macarons.

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry (based on my recipe in 'Teatime in Paris') or use ready-made shortcrust

• 125 g (4.5oz) unsalted butter softened
• 75 g (3oz) icing (powdered) sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt (fleur de sel)
• 1 organic egg
• 225 g (8oz) plain (all-purpose) flour preference Type 45
• 25 g (1oz) ground almonds/almond flour

Pear and Almond Cream Filling:

• 6 half pears tinned
• 100 g (3.5oz) unsalted butter softened
• 75 g (3oz) sugar
• 2 organic eggs
• 3 drops almond extract
• 100 g (3.5oz) ground almonds/almond flour
• 2 tbsp good quality dark rum
• 20 g (handful) slivered almonds

Glaze:

• 100 g (3.5oz) apricot jam slightly warmed

Instructions

Sweet Pastry:

• 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 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 a loose-bottomed tart tin (28cm diameter).
• 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. 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/180°C fan/400°F/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. Top with macaron shells (recipe in both my books).

Notes

Nutritional Information: 387 calories per serving; 6g protein; 29g carbohydrates; 26g fat.

For more detailed instructions on the tart's pastry, see the tart chapter in my book, Teatime in Paris.