Pear and Almond Tart

This pear and almond tart is an elegant, sophisticated, and delicious dessert that is also super easy to prepare. 

This pear tart begins with an almond flour crust that is par-baked. Then, you spread on a frangipane-style filling, then tuck in some sliced poached or canned pears, brush the pears with butter, and sprinkle everything with sparkling sugar before baking.

You can serve this tart warm from the oven or at room temperature. It's even delicious for breakfast the next morning. Your guests will swoon. 

Recently I've been making an effort to use the ingredients and kitchen equipment I have on hand. In fact, I get a little thrill when I see a new recipe and realize that I have ALL of the ingredients in my pantry or refrigerator. 

I also have been doing a pretty good job avoiding buying any new specialty and single use pans (Evidence: I actually survived making popovers without buying a popover pan). 

Then, when I decided to make this tart, I bought a 14 inch long tart pan. Isn't my new pan pretty? Sigh. So for the rest of you who have better willpower than I do, I've done the math. An 8 inch square or 9 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom will do just fine. 

This tart has a wonderful flavor. The pears and the ground almonds go together perfectly. 

Ingredients You will Need:

Almond flour: You can either grind your own or use purchased almond flour. I used Bob's Red Mill finely ground almond meal. 

Pears Halves: Either canned or poached. 

Sparkling Sugar: for sprinkling the assembled tart before baking. 

From you Pantry and Refrigerator: Granulated sugar, butter, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, unbleached all-purpose flour, eggs. 

Process for Making this Tart:

First, make the crust by mixing butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla and almond extracts together. The mixture will be pretty crumbly. Press it into your tart pan and then freeze it for a few minutes before par-baking. 

Next, make the filling. Mix more butter, salt, sugar, flour, and extract and then beat in some eggs. Stir in more almond flour. Spread the mixture into the crust and then press slices of pears into the filling, spreading them across the tart. 

Finally, brust the top with melted butter, sprinkle with sparkling sugar, and bake the tart for about 45 minutes. You can serve it warm, room temperature, or cold. It's sooooo good!

Recipe Variations and Serving Suggestions:

You can substitute another nut meal, such as hazelnut, walnut, pecan flour, or a combination. Just replace the almond extract with more vanilla. In fact, if you prefer a subtler almond flavor, you can substitute vanilla for the almond extract even if you are using almond flour. 

While the recipe calls for canned or poached pear halves, you can use fresh ripe pear slices, such as Bartlets, either peeled or unpeeled. 

You could also use unsliced pear halves and just press them into the filling. Below is a photo from the first time I made this tart. 

You could also add some candied ginger or a sprinkling of fresh cranberries to the filling for a flavor twist. I think a sprinkling of sliced almonds on top would be wonderful too. 

This tart is delicious as is. You can also serve it with whipped cream, caramel sauce, dulce de leche, vanilla ice cream, or any combination. 

While I made the crust and batter in my stand mixer, you can also use a food processor to mix both. Just wipe either out with paper towels after making the crust before mixing the filling. 

This tart would be perfect cut into squares and served at a holiday dessert table.

More Pear-centric Recipes: 

Pear and Cherry Sourdough Bread

Pear and Sausage Pizza

Vanilla Pear Muffins

Pear and Cranberry Crostata

Ginger Pear Cake

Oatmeal Pear Bars

Best Pear Recipes From Our Dinner Table: 

• Pear and Almond Tart from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pear and Walnut Cheese Ball from Palatable Pastime
• Poached Pears from Art of Natural Living
• Spiced Pear Scones from Hezzi-D's Recipe Box

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Pear and Almond Tart

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

This pear and almond tart is an elegant, sophisticated, and delicious dessert that is also super easy to prepare.

Ingredients

For The Crust

• 67 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
• 71 grams (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 120 grams (1 cup/4.25 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
• 48 grams (1/2 cup/1.75 ounces) almond flour. (You can buy Bob's Red Mill at most grocery stores, or grind your own in the food processor, just be careful not to make almond butter

For the Filling

• 43 grams (3 tablespoons) softened butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 131 grams (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 12 grams (1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons/1/2 ounce) unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 2 large eggs
• 72 grams (3/4 cup/2.5 ounces) almond flour
• 5 pear halves (canned or poached, I used canned, see notes about substitutions above)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon sparkling or granulated sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

To Prepare the Crust

1. Beat the sugar, butter, salt, vanilla, and almond extract.
2. Stir in the almond and all purpose flour to get crumbs that stick together when pressed.
3. Pat the crumbs into the tart pan's bottom and sides and prick the crust several times with a fork.
4. Stick the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until barely browning around the edges.
7. Allow to cool.

To Prepare the Filling and Bake the Tart

1. Beat the butter, salt, sugar, flour, and almond extract.
2. Continue beating while adding in the eggs.
3. Add the almond flour and stir until just combined.
4. Spread the filling into the tart crust.
5. Cut the pear halves into 3/8 inch slices lengthwise. Transfer each cut pear half all at once to the tart and fan the pieces out into the filling. Repeat with each pear half until the pears are arranged accross the tart. Give them a gentle nudge into the filling. 
6. Brush the pears with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden on top. Bake longer for more browning of the the pears.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

328

Fat (grams)

15 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

7 g

Carbs (grams)

46 g

Fiber (grams)

4 g

Net carbs

42 g

Sugar (grams)

30 g

Protein (grams)

5 g

Cholesterol (grams)

65 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2012/11/pear-and-almond-tart-perfect-autumn.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

almond flour, pears

dessert, tart

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Recipe adapted from King Arthur Baking

Originally published November, 2012. Updated December, 2023.