Tarte Bourdaloue - Pear Almond Tart
User Reviews
5
Tarte Bourdaloue - Pear Almond Tart
Description
Tarte Bourdaloue - Pear Almond Tart starts with a sweet shortcrust pastry made from butter, sugar, ground almonds, eggs, and flour, chilled then rolled out to form a sturdy yet tender tart shell. The filling consists of a smooth almond cream, achieved by creaming butter and sugar, then adding eggs, almond extract, ground almonds, and a touch of dark rum for depth.
Pear halves, drained and possibly sliced, are layered on top of the almond cream. The tart is baked to produce a golden pastry edge and a moist, almond-flavored filling with soft pears resting on top. The finish is an apricot jam glaze applied warm for a glossy look and added sweetness.
This tart suits teatime or dessert, offering a balance of sweet, nutty, and fruity flavors with a variety of textures from crisp pastry to creamy almond filling and tender pears. It is typically baked in a loose-bottomed tart tin for easy removal.
Measurements focus on metric weights for precision, with accompanying approximate volume measures. The recipe advises chilling the dough for proper handling and recommends the use of quality ingredients like unsalted butter and organic eggs for best results.
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry (based on my recipe in 'Teatime in Paris') or use ready-made shortcrust
- 125 g (4.5oz/½ cup) butter softened, unsalted
- 75 g (3oz/½ cup) confectioners sugar aka icing sugar, powdered
- ½ teaspoon salt (fleur de sel, Maldon or Celtic salt)
- 1 egg organic
- 225 g (8oz/1.87 cups) all-purpose flour Type 45, plain
- 25 g (1oz/¼ cup) ground almonds or almond flour
Pear and Almond Cream Filling:
- 6 half pear tinned
- 100 g (3.5oz/scant ½ cup) butter softened, unsalted
- 75 g (3oz/ ⅓ cup) sugar
- 2 egg organic
- 3 drops almond extract
- 100 g (3.5oz/1 cup) ground almonds (almond flour)
- 2 tablespoon dark rum good quality
- 20 g (handful) almonds slivered
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 (27-28cm/11" 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
- This recipe uses metric weights for accuracy; volume measurements are approximate.
- Chilling the dough before rolling improves pastry texture and handling.
- The tart is baked in a loose-bottomed tin for easier removal.
- Use apricot jam warmed for glazing to create a glossy finish on the tart.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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