Pear Almondine Tart Recipe

“Tarte Bourdaloue” Parisian Bourdaloue Tart (Pear & Almond) - Bourdaloue is a tart invented by a pastry chef in Paris's Rue Bourdaloue during la Belle Epoque - composed of poached Pear Williams, drowned in a vanilla frangipane cream, covered in broken macarons and finally glazed in the oven ("Larousse Gastronomique"). The preparation method has graced European cuisines for centuries, enhancing a variety of dishes with its nutty flavor and satisfying crunch. This evolved and easier version of the Pear Almondine Recipe is from Raymond Blanc's Simply Raymond. This is my all-time favorite and quick dessert recipe when I host friends at home. Especially when this version skipped sophisticated steps and incorporated the crust and cream filling all-in-one, which still tastes equally delightful.

Most cooks use a tart ring with a base. The problem is it takes twice as long to cook the pastry and often the pastry is uncooked. Raymond Blanc recommended using a baking stone as the base and preheat it in the oven.

My approach: While I used the adjustable ring from Ikea, I placed the base of my 7" Cake Tin underneath after preheating only the base, around the time my batter is ready to go to the oven

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Step 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas

Step 2. Butter (or oil) a tart ring, about 18cm x 2cm. Cut a long strip of greaseproof paper to line the inside of the buttered tart ring. Place the buttered and lined tart ring onto a flat baking sheet, upturned baking tray or baker’s peel lined with greaseproof paper. Place a separate tray or baking stone on the middle shelf of the preheated oven, ready to slide the pear tart onto to ensure the heat begins to cook directly into the base of the tart.

Pear Almondine Recipe - Pear and Almond Tart baking tart ring

Step 3. Drain the pears and slice them in half again if they are large.

Pear Almondine Recipe - Pear and Almond Tart baking

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Step 4. In a large bowl, mix the softened butter and sugar.

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Step 5. Then add the ground almonds, cornflour, vanilla bean paste and egg, and mix well.

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Step 6. Spoon the mixture into the tart ring, spreading it evenly.

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Step 7. Arrange the pear halves evenly around the outside of the tart, resting them on top of the almond sponge mixture, and with the tip of each half meeting in the middle. According to the size of the pears, you may require the base of half a pear to fill a space in the centre.

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Step 8. Scatter with almonds. Slide the pear tart onto the preheated tray or baking stone and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden.

Step 9. Leave the cake to cool for a few minutes before removing it from the ring. Before serving, dust with icing sugar.

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Reference: "Simply Raymond" by Raymond Blanc

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