Baked Pear Almond Cream Tart

This classic tart can be made using a bottomless French tart ring or a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

Servings
12
Prep Time
45 MIN
Plus chilling
Cook Time
50 MIN
Recipe by
The French Pastry School
Restaurant
The Butter Book
Chicago, IL
Ingredients

Pâte Sucrée

¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar
2 cups (226g) cake flour
4 oz. (113g) Plugrá® Premium Butter, unsalted, room temperature
Pinch sea salt, fine
1 tsp.(5g) vanilla paste or vanilla extract
¼ cup (28g) finely ground almond flour
1 large (50g) egg, at room temperature

Almond Cream

¼ cup (28g) cake flour
¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar
3½ oz. (100g) Plugrá® Premium Butter, unsalted, room temperature
Pinch sea salt, fine
1 cup (112g) finely ground almond flour
1 large (50g) egg
1½ lbs (680 g) pears, peeled, cored and quartered
¼ cup (28g) sliced almonds
¼ cup (80g) apple jelly or apricot jam
Steps
1
Pâte Sucrée Sift the powdered sugar on parchment paper and set aside. Sift the flour on a separate parchment paper and set aside.
2
Cream the butter and salt in a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed for about 10 seconds. Add the vanilla and blend for another 20 seconds.
3
Add the powdered sugar and almond flour. Mix on low speed to combine; scrape the bowl.
4
Mix in the egg. Blend on low speed for 20 seconds or until combined; scrape the bowl. Add the flour on low speed, one-third at a time. Mix until well blended.
5
Transfer the dough to a cutting board or counter and scrape the dough towards you using a flat dough scraper to ensure that there are no lumps.
6
Place the dough on plastic wrap and form into a disc. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or preferably overnight.
7
Almond Cream Sift the flour on parchment paper and set aside. Sift the powdered sugar on a separate parchment paper and set aside.
8
Cream the butter and salt in a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed for about 10 seconds. Add the powdered sugar and almond flour. Mix for about 1 minute on low speed, but do not incorporate too much air. Gradually add the egg. Mix until well blended. Note: If almond cream is made with butter and eggs that are too cold, the mixture will separate. There is an easy way to fix this. Place the mixer bowl over hot water for 10 seconds. Remove from the water and stir. Repeat a few times until it becomes smooth.
9
Add the flour on low speed for 30 seconds or until it comes together, but do not overmix. Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a ¼ to ½-inch straight pastry tip. Note: the cream can be spread into the shell if you don’t have a pastry bag.
10
Assembling the Tart Lightly flour a large cutting board or a silicone baking mat with the shiny side down, textured side up. Set the dough in the center and lightly flour the top. Gently press to soften and flatten using a rolling pin. Begin rolling from the center to the top and the center to the bottom. Roll in alternating directions and dust as needed until the dough is 1½-inches larger than your tart pan or ring. Brush off the excess flour and return the dough to the refrigerator for 10 minutes if it becomes too soft.
11
Place a baking or pizza stone on the center rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Lightly apply butter a 10-inch tart ring or tart pan with a removeable bottom. Wipe the excess with a paper towel.
12
Center the tart ring or bottomless pan on the dough. Dock inside the ring. Replace the bottom in the tart pan. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and position the dough inside the ring or pan with the docked side down. Make sure the dough is brought down to the bottom of the tart ring or and fits squarely into the corners. Press firmly against the side of the ring. Trim the excess dough. Then clean the edge. Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
13
Pipe the almond cream in a spiral beginning in the center towards the edge of the shell or spread using a small offset spatula.
14
Peel and core the pears and slice lengthwise into quarters. Arrange them a spiral touching the edge of the dough with the wider end leaving the center of the almond cream exposed.
15
Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
16
Bake the bottomless tart ring on a baking pan or the tart pan directly on the baking/pizza stone for approximately for 45 minutes. Then cover with aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
17
Cool for about 10 minutes. Slide the tart onto a cooling rack and remove it from the ring or outer piece of the tart pan (you can leave it on the bottom circle for serving or remove the circle when the tart is fully cooled).
18
Place the apple jelly and a tablespoon of water in a small microwavable dish. Microwave for 30 seconds on high, stirring halfway through or until it has a fluid consistency.
19
Gently dab the glaze on the pears and almond filling as to not dislodge the sliced almonds. Do not glaze the crust.