This easy classic French tart made with a buttery pastry, almond cream filling, and poached pears yields an exquisite combination of flaky and creamy textures that will make you eat it down to the last crumb.

This elegant cake has the perfect combination of crisp and flaky crust, creamy almond filling, and tender pears. Your family will think it came from a fancy Parisian patisserie.
You can bring it to dinner parties, but it would also make an excellent dessert over the holiday season.
The almond filling is slightly different from typical frangipane. Instead of almond meal, almond flour, or ground almonds, we use almond paste.
This recipe combines three different recipes. I customized all except the tart shell recipe that I followed 100% because it is perfect, and I couldn't possibly compete with a French pastry chef. Just ask David Lebovitz.
๐ Why it Works
- The pastry dough is ridiculously easy! No rubbing butter into the flour, no rolling, no chilling the dough, no pie weights! It's like being in tart heaven!
- You can use this crumbly, cookie-like pastry shell for both sweet and savory fillings.
- This delicious tart makes a beautiful dessert year-round, but it would make an excellent sweet treat for Thanksgiving.
- Short on time? Use store-bought crust and canned pears. If you can only find them halved, that's OK too. Arrange them in a star shape as you would in pear amandine, or slice them like in this Hasselback pear tart recipe.
This technique is different from any recipe I've ever seen (not that I’m a tart expert). David Lebovitz couldn't believe his eyes either. He thought it a jest!
“Did you fall from a pear tree?” is a popular Bosnian idiom used to express disbelief without directly calling a person or their actions absurd. But there's absolutely nothing absurd about this pear almond tart, I promise!
๐ Ingredients and Notes
- Almond Paste: You should be able to find it on the shelves of your local market. You can also order almond paste online or sub with marzipan (*see the difference below).
- Pears: Bosc Pears have a buttery texture and maintain their shape exceptionally well. You could also use Anjou. Keep in mind when poaching to always use firm, just barely ripe pears. Fully ripen fruit will break down during the poaching process.
- Vanilla Sugar: Don't panic if vanilla sugar is not available to you or you've never baked with it. It is not a must-have ingredient. I'm just used to it more than extract, as most Europeans are. Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste instead.
- Butter: My recommendation is a good quality butter with less moisture (like pure Irish or any European-style butter), but use what you have on hand. *See recipe tips if you're using American butter.
๐ช Instructions
An essential step in this recipe is to use a removable bottom tart pan. It will make it effortless to remove the pear almond tart from the tin and onto your serving platter. It also keeps the fluted edges nicely in place for a beautiful presentation.
Step 1 - Poached Pears
We are poaching whole cored pears in a simple syrup spiced with cinnamon sticks and whole cloves for this recipe.
- Heat the water and honey until honey is dissolved and the water is bubbly. Add lemon, vanilla sugar or extract, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Simmer on low, occasionally turning until cooked through, 20-30 minutes, depending on the pears. They should be tender but not fall-apart tender. Let pears cool in the syrup. You can make this two days prior.
Step 2 - French Tart Shell
We will be using Paule Caillat's, Parisian pastry expert, easy method for making Brown Butter Tart Crust and blind-baking it first.
Baking blind is the process of baking a tart shell (pie crust or other pastry) shortly first without the filling. Although it adds another step to this recipe, it is vital for the final result.
- Add the butter, oil, water, sugar, and salt to a medium-sized ovenproof bowl (I used a small glass baking pan), then place the bowl in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the butter is bubbling and starts to brown just around the edges.
- Remove the bowl from the oven using oven mitts (the bowl will be hot, and the mixture might sputter a bit), dump in the flour, and stir it in quickly until it comes together and forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a tart mold with a removable bottom and spread a bit with a spatula; reserve a small piece of dough for patching any cracks.
- Once the dough is cool enough to handle, pat it into the shell with the heel of your hand, and use your fingers or fork to press it up the sides of the tart mold. Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork.
- Bake the shell in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the dough is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and if there are any sizable cracks, use the bits of reserved dough to fill in and patch them; Let the shell cool completely before filling.
Step 3 - Almond Cream Filling
- Beat the almond paste with the sugar and flour until smooth. The paste might be dry and hard to work with. Microwave it in 10 seconds intervals until soft and pliable.
- Gradually beat in the butter until smooth.
- Add eggs, liquor, and almond extract. Mix until combined.
Step 4 - Assemble
- Place the pre-baked pastry shell on a baking sheet. Carefully spread the almond filling over the cooled shell.
- Place the whole pears over the filling; press them slightly into the filling. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
- Bake for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or until the almond filling between the pears has browned.
- Cool cake in pan on a rack before serving. Push pan bottom up, releasing it from pan; dust with confectioner’s sugar or glaze as desired.
Almond Paste or Marzipan?
So what's the difference between the two?
- Almond paste is less sweet and softer than marzipan, which is perfect for fillings.
- Marzipan contains more sugar, and its almond content is lower. It is also denser in texture which makes it ideal for molding and making candy.
- You can replace the almond paste with marzipan if you absolutely must (*see above difference), but since marzipan is already sweet, omit the sugar in the filling section of the recipe.
- Use firm, just barely ripe pears whenever you are poaching, or they will become overcooked.
- Be sure to drain the pears well. Use paper towels to pat them dry before placing them on the almond filling. You don't want them sitting in its juice.
- If your pears are too large, you could cut the bottom portion (โ or so) after poaching. It only makes for a better presentation, though. You can keep them as is if you wish.
- This tart would also be amazing using quince.
- For a shortcut, use an eight or nine-inch store-bought pastry shell.
- It's better to undercook the crust just a little in blind baking than to overbake it, as you will bake for the second time. Or, put the foil ring around the crust borders for the second round.
- Set the pan on a baking sheet before sliding it into your oven since some melted butter can run out, especially American butter that has higher water content than European butter.
- Oven temps vary, so keep your eye on the tart as it is easy to burn near the finish.
โ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare, blind-bake, and refrigerate the tart dough several days in advance.
Poached pears several days prior and keep refrigerated in an airtight container.
Frangipane filling comes together quickly and stores exceptionally well. Make the filling up to one week before and keep it refrigerated. You can also freeze it for up to one month. Be sure to transfer it to the refrigerator in advance and allow it to thaw completely before using.
If you're trying to make it gluten-free, I'd recommend King Arthur GF 1:1 flour.
I wouldn't recommend freezing the finished tart as it would impact the texture, particularly of the pears, or result in it being slightly soggy after defrosting.
Serve dusted with powdered sugar, drizzled with chocolate syrup, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a generous dollop of whipped cream.
- Cranberry Orange Cream Tart
- No-Bake Milk Tart
- Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Tart
- Marzipan Gugelhupf with Candied Fruit
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Amazing Whole Pear and Almond Tart
EQUIPMENT
- Large saucepan
- An 8" or 9" tart pan with removable bottom
- Oven-proof bowl or a glass pan
Ingredients
For Poached Pears:
- 5 small pears, peeled and cored, leaving the stems intact
- 1 quart water
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar, or 1 tbs vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4-5 whole cloves
- ½ lemon
For Tart Shell
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed/cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon oil, vegetable or canola
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- โ teaspoon salt
- 5 oz. all-purpose flour, 1 slightly rounded cup
For Almond Cream Filling
- 6 oz. almond paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg white, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- โ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Amaretto, sub with kirschwasser or spiced rum
- 3-4 drops almond extract, optional
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, optional
Instructions
Poach the pears
- Heat the water and honey until honey is dissolved and the water is bubbly. Add lemon, vanilla sugar or extract, cinnamon, and cloves. Slide in the pears and cover with a lid, allowing some of the steam to escape.
- Simmer on low, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 20-30 minutes, depending on the pears. Cool pears in syrup. This can be made two days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Make the tart shell
- In a medium-sized ovenproof bowl, combine the butter, oil, water, sugar, and salt.
- Place the bowl in the oven for 15 minutes until the butter is bubbling and starts to brown just around the edges.
- Remove the bowl from the oven using oven mittens (the bowl will be hot, and the mixture might sputter a bit), dump in the flour, and stir it in quickly until it comes together and forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a tart pan with a removable bottom and spread a bit with a spatula; reserve a small piece of dough, about a size of a raspberry, for patching any cracks.
- Once the dough is cool enough to handle, pat it into the shell with the heel of your hand, and use your fingers or fork to press it up the sides of the tart mold.
- Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork, then bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the dough is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and if there are any sizable cracks, use the bits of reserved dough to fill in and patch them. Let the shell cool before filling.
Make the almond filling
- Beat the almond paste with the sugar and flour until smooth. The paste might be dry and hard to work with. Microwave it in 10 seconds intervals until soft and pliable.
- Gradually beat in the butter until smooth. Add eggs, liquor, and almond extract if using, and mix until combined.
Assamble
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the pre-baked tart shell on a baking sheet. Carefully spread the almond filling over the shell. Arrange the pears on top without touching each other and slightly press them into the filling; sprinkle with sliced almonds (optional).
- Bake the tart for about 45 minutes, or until the almond filling between the pears has browned.
- Cool tart in pan on a rack before serving. Push pan bottom up, releasing tart from pan; dust with confectioner’s sugar or glaze as desired.
Notes
- You can replace the almond paste with marzipan if you absolutely must (*see the difference in the post), but since marzipan is already sweet, omit the sugar in the filling section of the recipe.
- Use firm, just barely ripe pears whenever you are poaching, or they will become overcooked.
- Be sure to drain the pears well. Use paper towels to pat them dry before placing them on the almond filling. You don't want them sitting in its juice.
- If your pears are too large, you could cut the bottom portion (โ or so) after poaching. It only makes for a better presentation, though. You can keep them as is if you wish.
- This tart would also be amazing using quince.
- If your dough is still too soft after it's been cooled, knead in a bit more flour (1-2 tbsp.).
- Cracks in the crust are normal. Patch larger ones with reserved dough.
- It's better to undercook the crust just a little in blind baking than to overbake it, as you will bake for the second time. Or, put the foil ring around the crust borders for the second round.
- Set the pan on a baking sheet before sliding it into your oven since some melted butter can run out, especially American butter that has higher water content than European butter.
- Oven temps vary, so keep your eye on the pastry as it is easy to burn near the finish.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used and serving size.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in November 2013 and updated in May of 2021 with new photos and recipe tips.
Bam's Kitchen says
Love, Love, Love this gorgeous tart. i am glad you pulled it from the archives on facebook so that I could find your recipe.
allthatsjas says
Aw, thank you Bam. You're a sweetheart! Warm hugs ๐
Laura says
Your photos are GORGEOUS!
allthatsjas says
Thank you Laura for stopping by and leaving me a nice note ๐ Stay warm!