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Pear Frangipane Tart. Buttery shortbread crust baked with almond frangipane filling and sliced pears.
5 from 2 votes

Pear Frangipane Tart

Pear Frangipane Tart has a buttery shortbread crust baked with almond frangipane filling and topped with sliced pears and almonds. 
Yield: 9.5-inch tart
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Dough Rest: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, French
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 595kcal

Ingredients

Tart Shell:

  • 14 Tablespoon (198 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (58 g ) powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Frangipane Filling:

  • cup (3.5 oz/99 g) almond paste
  • 3 Tablespoon ( 38 g) granulated sugar
  • 6 Tablespoon (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoon (16 g ) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Topping:

  • 3 ripe medium-sized Bartlett pears*
  • sliced almonds, to top
  • turbinado sugar, to top

Instructions

Tart Shell:

  • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add egg and egg yolk. Mix until well incorporated.
  • Add flour and salt. Mix on low speed just until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour. Gently press dough together. Divide in two equal parts and pat into flat discs. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
  • When ready to roll out dough, place one disc on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax paper). Roll into a circle about 11-inches in diameter. 
  • Gently transfer dough to 9.5-inch or 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Use your fingers to press dough against the sides and bottom of pan. Trim the overhang dough along the edges. Dock the bottom of tart. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge while oven preheats.
  • Preheat oven to 375°25F.
  • Remove plastic wrap from tart. Line tart with parchment paper or aluminum foil and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights. Bake for another 6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare filling.

Frangipane Filling:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a food processor fitted with blade attachment, combine almond paste, sugar, and butter. Pulse until well blended. Scrape down bowl as needed. 
  • Add eggs one a time, pulsing until incorporated. Add vanilla, salt, baking powder, and flour. Process until mixture is smooth. 

Assembly and Topping:

  • Pour filling into cooled tart shell.
  • Peel pears. Slice in half lengthwise and core. Slice pear halves crosswise into thin slices. Slightly fan pear slices apart. Use a mini offset spatula to carefully transfer fanned pears atop the filled tart shell. Repeat with remaining pear halves, spacing pears equally apart in tart shell.
  • Sprinkle sliced almonds and turbinado sugar, as desired. Bake for 38-40 minutes until the filling center no longer jiggles. Allow tart to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. If desired, dust tart with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

  • Be sure to use ripe pears. Otherwise, the pears will lack flavor. If pears are extra juicy, place sliced pears on paper towel lined plate before transferring to filled tart shell. 
  • Tart can be left at room temperature for up to one day. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
DOUGH recipe makes enough for TWO TARTS. Flatten second dough. Cover tightly in plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge for up to two days, or keep frozen for up to a month. Defrost overnight in the fridge when ready to use. 

Nutrition

Calories: 595kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 168mg, Sodium: 265mg, Potassium: 187mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 1026IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 3mg