Pear Frangipane Tart
This classic French poached pear tart is made with a sweet tart dough and filled with poached pears and frangipane (almond cream). Serve over the holiday season for a special treat!
I’m so excited to partner with Harry & David once again to bring you one of my favorite classic dessert recipes!
This classic pear frangipane tart uses my all-time favorite Harry & David product: their famous Southern Oregon grown Royal Riviera pears.
My family has been ordering Royal Riviera pears over the holiday season for as long as I can remember. It has become a long-standing tradition and one we look forward to each year.
They make for a wonderful holiday gift to send to friends and family too. I’m all about edible gifts at this time of year.
Ingredient Breakdown: Royal Riviera Pears
Hand picked at peak maturity, Royal Riviera pears are buttery, sweet, and incredibly juicy. Like, so juicy that you’ll have to stand over a sink while you eat them. They’re incredible, always arrive in perfect condition, and never ever disappoint.
So you can imagine my excitement when two boxes of my favorite pears arrived on my doorstep, and I was asked to create a fun new pear recipe for you.
I brainstormed a few ideas, but kept coming back to one of my favorite desserts of all-time: pear frangipane tart. Otherwise known as la tarte bourdaloue.
A classic French tart made with pate brisee (sweet tart dough), poached pears, and frangipane (almond cream).
How to Poach Pears
In keeping with tradition, this pear tart uses poached pears for the filling. While it’s tempting to just enjoy them on their own, Royal Riviera pears are fabulous for baking, as they have a very buttery texture and maintain their shape extremely well.
For this tart recipe, we’ll be poaching whole cored pears in a simple syrup infused with cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, and vanilla bean.
One important thing to keep in mind when poaching is to always use firm, just barely ripe pears. You do not want to allow the pears to fully ripen or they will break down during the poaching process.
What is Frangipane?
Pronounced fran-juh-pan, frangipane is a dessert filling made from ground almonds, butter, eggs, sugar, and small amount of unbleached all-purpose flour. It is sometimes referred to as almond cream.
I fully came to appreciate frangipane in culinary school. We used it constantly for various applications and its ability to transform desserts never ceased to amaze me. It rises as it bakes, and has a wonderful texture and almond flavor that beautifully compliments pears.
Frangipane is made from finely ground almonds, aka. almond flour. While you can flavor frangipane any number of ways, the frangipane filling for this tart is kept fairly traditional.
I like to add fresh lemon zest, a touch of dark rum (optional), and pure vanilla extract.
Blind-Baking the Tart Crust
As is the case with many tart recipes, this pear frangipane tart requires you to blind-bake the tart dough prior to adding the filling.
Blind baking adds another step to this recipe, but is very important for the final result.
It ensures that the tart dough is cooked through completely, gains a deep golden color (aka. flavor!), and ensures a crisp, buttery texture that balances the softer pear frangipane filling.
How to Make It Ahead:
While this dessert does involve several components and steps, there are ways to prep it in advance and make the process more time-friendly.
- Sweet Tart Dough – prepare and refrigerate the tart dough several days in advance (or freeze up to a month ahead and allow to thaw in the refrigerator before rolling out)
- Poached Pears – pears can be poached several days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Frangipane Filling – frangipane comes together quickly and stores extremely well. Make it several days in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. It also freezes well, just be sure to transfer it to the refrigerator in advance and allow it to thaw completely before using.
How to Serve Pear Frangipane Tart:
Once baked, you’ll want to allow the tart to cool almost completely before serving. I like to garnish it with a simple dusting of sugar. You can also brush the top with a simple apricot glaze for shine if you desire.
The tart is best served on it’s own or with a simple dollop of whipped cream. This would make an excellent dessert for Thanksgiving or enjoyed over the rest of the holiday season.
Pear Frangipane Tart
Ingredients
Tart Dough:
- 2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour fluffed, spooned, and leveled
- ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 11 tablespoons (155 g; 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Poached Pears:
- 6 cups (1.4 L) cold water
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 star anise pod
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 2 strips lemon peel without the pith, plus half a lemon
- 3 Harry & David Royal Riviera Pears firm yet slightly ripe
Frangipane Filling:
- 8 tablespoons (4 oz; 115 grams) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (115 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (115 g) almond flour
- 3 large whole eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon dark rum optional
For Serving
- powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
- lightly sweetened whipped cream optional
Instructions
- Prepare the Tart Dough: Lightly grease a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Pulse until well mixed. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse repeatedly until the butter is well distributed into the flour. You shouldn't be able to see any distinguishable pieces. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and pulse continuously until the dough just starts to clump together. Note: It might appear very dry at first, but if you continue to pulse and process, it will come together. Be patient.
- Transfer the dough and any smaller pieces to a clean countertop, and knead - pressing the dough down with the heel of your hand - until it is completely smooth. It will resemble a sugar cookie dough in texture. Press the dough into the greased tart pan (with a removable bottom) - it should be just under ¼-inch thick, you should have some dough leftover - and chill in the fridge for a minimum of one hour, or freeze for at least 30 minutes. If you are preparing the dough ahead of time: press it into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 2 days. If following this method, take the dough out of the fridge at least 15 to 20 minutes before rolling, as it will be too hard to roll right from the fridge. Roll the dough out (between pieces of parchment or wax paper to prevent sticking), carefully pick up and transfer the dough to the tart pan, using fingers to push in dough and gently shape the tart. If it cracks, just simply patch or press the pieces back together. This is a forgiving tart dough. Make sure to press dough tightly inside corners and sides. The dough can be made up to 2 days in advance or frozen up to a month ahead.
- Poach the Pears: As the tart dough is chilling, poach the pears. Combine the cold water and granulated sugar in a medium pot (roughly 3-quart capacity). Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise pod, vanilla bean paste, and lemon peel.
- Peel the pears, leaving the stem on, and gently rub each pear with the lemon half to prevent the pears from oxidizing. Using melon baller or small paring knife, core the pears from the bottom end. Using a large spoon, gently lower the cored, whole pears into the poaching liquid. The poaching liquid should almost completely cover the pears.
- Return the poaching liquid to a low simmer, cover the surface of the pot with a parchment round, and simmer the pears, occasionally flipping them during the cooking process, for about 12 to 15 minutes or until tender. Remember that you will be cooling the pears in the liquid, so do not overcook. You can test whether the pears are done by piercing the pear (through the bottom end) with a paring knife. The pears should be tender, yet not at all mushy.
- Cool the pears to room temperature in the poaching liquid. Serve or transfer the pears to a large container and refrigerate for up to one week. The poaching liquid can be kept, discarded, or used to store the poached pears. Try reusing the liquid for poaching other pears or as a simple syrup in cocktails, etc.
- Blind Bake the Tart Shell: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the center position. Lightly grease the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit it, buttered side down, against the chilled tart dough. Fill the foil with baking weights, dried beans, or granulated sugar (all options work well). Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, and bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the shell is lightly golden and cooked through. Set tart pan on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the frangipane and poached pears.
- Make the Frangipane Filling: Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand-held mixer). Beat over medium speed until creamy. Over low speed, add the almond flour, alternating with egg until the ingredients are incorporated evenly. Add the flour and mix to combine. Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and rum (if using) and mix until just combined. Use right away if the other tart components are ready, or transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Assemble the Tart: Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Fill the pre-baked tart shell with the frangipane filling and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Place the poached pears on a few paper towels to help soak up any excess poaching liquid (this will help prevent it from seeping into the frangipane). Cut the poached pears in half, removing the stem and any core that might remain. Slice the pear halves crosswise into thin slices. Using a spatula, carefully lift each sliced pear half and place on the frangipane, with the narrow end of the pear facing the center of the tart, fanning the slices apart slightly as you work. Repeat with the remaining pear halves, spacing them evenly around the tart.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 40 to 55 minutes, or until the frangipane has risen substantially around the pears and is deep golden brown in color. Note: *If your oven runs hot, you may wish to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees. If the edges of the tart are gaining color too quickly, you can lightly cover them with a ring of foil - be sure to cook the filling through completely. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool until lukewarm or room temperature before removing the sides of the tart pan.
- Before serving, dust lightly with powdered sugar. Serve plain or with whipped cream. While you can prepare several components of this tart ahead, it is best served the day of baking. Any leftovers can be kept at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
Tips for Success
- It is very important to use firm, just barely ripe pears, whenever you are poaching. Otherwise they will become mushy and overcooked.
- You can use uncooked pears for this recipe as well, however they won't have quite as much flavor as the poached pears. If following this method, use slightly riper pears (but make sure they are still fairly firm).
- For added flavor: Infuse the frangipane with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom.
168 Comments on “Pear Frangipane Tart”
Hi Laura
I tried this recipe yesterday, I didn’t put the pears on top because the ones I had were very ripe..but I made a compote that I put on the crust before the frengipane..
I must say it’s the best tart I made so far..the crust (pate sucree) it’s so good, the texture is perfect..I struggled to find the right recipe for the crust in the past and now with this one I’m so happy…with the baking I just followed your advice,my oven runs hot so I put the foil around the crust borders…(it works)
Thanks for sharing this recipe..
I will enjoy this tart ?
So thrilled to hear this, thanks for the feedback!!!
Laura, you have remarkable patience in responding to the commenters. It seems many people want their frangipane to be in a pie crust!
I don’t normally make complicated desserts but had all (almost all) the ingredients and was spurred on to trying. So glad I did. I used ground cinnamon, ginger, star anise, vanilla and lemon peel in the poaching liquid. Everyone is questioning the crust I question the poaching liquid….6 cups water/2 cups sugar? seemed such a waste. I put 4 pears in a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup sugar and it was fine. I prob overcooked the crust forgetting that it will be cooked again with filling. Might want to note in instructions to undercook the crust a little.
Hi Sandi. You need a decent amount of liquid so that the pears are fully emerged and poaching liquid is 100% re-usable. 2 cups of water would not allow 3 pears (or the pears of the size that I used for this recipe) to be submerged properly or cook evenly in the way that this recipe is designed – if the pears aren’t fully submerged, it can also result in them discoloring from oxidation.
If you wish to have very little liquid and steam them (which is sounds like you did), that is up to you, but that is not the traditional way to poach pears – nor how you would traditionally prepare this very classic French dessert.
Everyone is welcome to adapt and change the recipe however they wish though, and if it works for you, that’s great but that’s up to them and what they feel comfortable with. In addition, the blind-baking is intended to fully bake the crust through (with little additional color), so again, that feedback is not in line with my intentions for the recipe.
My tart came out great! I followed the recipe exactly as written and had no issues…well actually, instead of anise, I used ginger in the poaching liquid. The cream swallowed one of my pears, but from the comments I see it could be that that pear was on the small side. The dough came together great and cooked up buttery golden brown. I wrapped the edge in foil once the crust was filled to prevent the edges from getting too dark. I will be making this for Thanksgiving, Christmas or just because! Tastes even better the next day!
Baked this Tart today. Loved it, thanks for the recipe
Just tried this with conference pears as that is all i had. It was lovely. I should have turned the oven down a bit as it’s a fan but it was fine. The cream worked well. You said you have not frozen a whole tart. Have you frozen individial slices before?
Hi! Could this be made in a pie plate instead of a tart pan? Sorry if this question has been asked already.
Hi Victoria! So sorry for the late reply. It’s definitely not ideal at all, because the fill would be fairly shallow and the crust wouldn’t properly fill a pie plate. Ideally, you want to be able to remove it from the tart pan too (which is why I recommend a tart pan with a removable bottom) Definitely possible, but I can’t give any specific recommendations on adapting it. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Fabulous tart. All of your directions were spot on. Thank you for being so detailed. I will definitely be trying more of your recipes.
Made this a few days ago! Very very yummy and actually very straightforward to follow for someone (such as myself) who has never made one before. To echo some of the comments above, the only flaw with this recipe I found was with the over temperature/cook time. Like I said, I did it by the book but after the first blind bake the pastry crust was already browning! I then had to try and salvage it for the second part of the blind bake and then the proper 40 minute bake using tinfoil. Other recipes I’ve since checked out (one of which I’ve tried) have the oven at 375 to blind bake (10 minutes, then 5 minutes as opposed to 20 and 15), and then (like this recipe) 375 to bake the frangipane (40 minutes). Unfortunately the end result of this round was that my pastry was a bit saw-dusty. BUT I loved this recipe otherwise and will be doing it again just with the adjusted temps 🙂
It turned our really nice although too sweet for my taste. I will reduce the sugar in both the frangipane and the poaching liquid. The crust was also a bit crumbly like others noted.
Wonderful recipe! Ours was beautifully golden brown and I dumbly decided to throw it under the broiler for a moment to make the pears a bit more golden. Got a bit crispy on the tops! Scraped it off and it was still delightful!!
When you bake yours how do you achieve the beautiful golden brown pears?
Thank you for this very well-written and tested recipe. Our neighbors gave us a box of Harry & David pears, so, as thanks, I cooked 3 of them into this tart today and gave them back, haha! I must say it turned out perfectly. Usually I modify recipes to meet my standards but this one has no need for improvement. My tart was a hit, and was devoured on the spot. It honestly could have been sold in a French patisserie: it was that ideal in appearance and taste.
But I did have a discrepancy. I always weigh my ingredients in metric and my almond flour (Kirkland Brand) came out to 80g for a cup. I weighed and measured it twice just to be sure, and yep 80g a cup, so I added another scant 1/2 cup (35g) to adhere to the weight specified in the recipe and I’m glad I did, as the frangipane baked up just fine. I also wrapped my crust with foil for the second bake as it was pretty much done after the first and it prevented it from over-cooking. I was very pleased it did not shrink too much either, as a lot of pastry doughs do! For the commenters who said their crust was too dry but they measured precisely, perhaps it was the quality of butter. Some commercial unsalted butters have higher moisture content than others. Usually the expensive butters, like Irish or Amish rolled, are much denser and lower in moisture, sometimes just enough to make a dough seem dry when it’s assembled. For this I used cheap store-brand butter and the dough was ideally moist.
One other comment about the crust– I made it last night and pressed it into the pan while it was still soft because I didn’t want to bother rolling it out later once it had gotten cold. It’s so much easier to work with right away, no need for extra flour to keep it from sticking, etc. I slid the tart pan into a plastic bag and refrigerated it overnight. This morning it was chilled and ready to fill. I also made the frangipane ahead of time to let the almond flour absorb the moisture from the eggs to even-out the consistency. It may be an insignificant step but sometimes little things like this distinguish an amateur from a professional result. Admittedly, I do it for my perfectionist self. My appreciative friends and family rarely discern the difference!
All around an excellent recipe! I will add to my collection!
Thank you again!
Former Chef at two restaurants in Washington DC in the early eighties. very nice approach. I recently tried a crust made of a mix of almond flour, oatmeal flour and unbleached flour. Added candied orange peel to the mix and a little cardamom in the crust. Superb. True, you must shepherd the oven temp and time. easy to burn near the finish.
Nice recipe.
Bosc pears don’t fall apart under long poaching times, that is why I have poached them in aromatic spices and red wine for deserts. Pears stuffed with sweet Gorgonzola Dolce cheese and candied fruit or chocolate. Renassance cuisine.
I made this tart back in January and it came out beautifully. Everyone I served it to complimented me. I’m actually just leaving a comment now to let you know that this has become my go to tart crust recipe. I’ve tried a lot of different ones but this one consistently works for me and tastes great. I love the little bit of salt in there and the lemon zest adds great flavor. I’ve had no trouble getting the dough to come together and it’s so easy to make. This crust never shrinks on me either. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi, is the measurement correct for poaching the pears with the vanilla bean paste? Typically I thought 1 tsp of paste is equal to 1 bean not 1 tbsp. Thanks.
Hi Ang! Vanilla is a flavoring agent – not structural to the recipe, so you can always adjust or adapt vanilla in any recipe. I listed some options because I know people are working with different things. The vanilla bean paste that I’m referring to a different product, not the equivalent of scraping an actual vanilla bean – it has other ingredients that dilute the flavor. Real vanilla beans are incredibly flavorful, so I find that you really don’t need nearly as much as you would extract/paste product to get the same effect. Again, though, add however much vanilla you like!
if i don’t have all purpose flour could i use almond flour as a substitute?
Hi Ann,
Are you referring to the tart dough recipe or in the filling? If you’re referring to the tart dough, unfortunately the answer is no. Almond flour does not behave the same way, and it would be a greasy melting mess. I’m sorry to say that, but I don’t want to inform you otherwise and have you waste any ingredients. The best substitute would be (maybe) a GF flour substitute. I know flour is super hard to come by right now, so I apologize for any disappointment, but this wouldn’t be a good recipe to try right now without the right ingredients! Stay safe and well.
Laura
What kind of pears can I use if I don’t have royal riviera pears?
Royal Riviera pears are a special type of Comice pear, but Anjou or Bosc would also work, just be sure to poach them when they are still firm (and not ripe, otherwise they will fall apart!). Hope this helps!
I just made the tart yesterday under self-quarantine. I came out wonderful. We each had a piece and gave the rest to friends. This is a Great recipe!
This is wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!
I am attending a ladies dinner and then a ladies brunch the next day to get to know the ladies at my new church, and the events are french-food themed. I’m making these beautiful pear frangipane tarts for the first night’s desert. I am going to try to make them as individual 3.5″ tartlets, and will be sure to let you know how that goes. The recipe looks classic and well-thought out and perfect for my event. With all of your answers to the comments and tips and shared knowledge of the baking times and crust dough consistency, I feel pretty confident at being able to adapt this beautiful dessert into darling individual portions, just as beautiful as the full-sized version. Thanks so much, and again, I’ll let you know how mine turn out.
Not too happy with this one. The frangipane swallowed the pears. it was my first try, and i wll try it again.
But one should definitely be careful to not overbake the crust on the blind bake, as the second bake with the filling and pears is another 45 mins or so.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy it. The pears should still be visible and not swallowed by the frangipane – that would happen if perhaps the pears were overcooked or you used smaller pears?