Bourdalou Tart (pear-almond tart)

Ingredients

• 100 g Unsalted butter (softened) (At room temperature, very soft)
• 50 g Powdered sugar
• 200 g T55 flour
• 40 g Whole egg (Weighed, at room temperature)
• 30 g Almond powder
• 1 pinch Salt
• 4 piece William pears (Firm, peeled and cut in half lengthwise)
• 250 ml Water
• 150 g Sugar (syrup)
• 1 piece Vanilla bean (Split and scraped)
• 250 ml Whole milk
• 40 g Sugar (pastry cream)
• 15 g Cornstarch (Maizena)
• 20 g Egg yolk (Approximately 1 yolk)
• 50 g Unsalted butter (softened) – almond cream (At room temperature)
• 40 g Sugar (almond cream)
• 50 g Whole egg – almond cream (At room temperature)
• 80 g Almond powder – almond cream
• 3 drops Bitter almond extract (Very strong, use sparingly)
• 30 ml Neutral glaze (glaze) (To glaze the pears after cooking)
• 10 g Powdered sugar (finishing) (Lightly dust)

Instructions

1. Prepare the sweet pastry dough

   In the mixer bowl, cream the softened butter with the powdered sugar on low speed until a smooth texture is achieved.

   Time: PT5M

2. Incorporate the egg, salt and almond powder

   Add the weighed egg (40 g), the pinch of salt and the almond powder. Mix on low speed until homogeneous.

   Time: PT5M

3. Add the flour

   Pour the T55 flour in a fine stream and mix for a few seconds on very low speed until a homogeneous dough forms.

   Time: PT2M

4. Chill

   Form a disc with your hands, wrap it in cling film and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

   Time: PT2H0M

5. Line the tart pan

   On a floured surface, roll the dough to 3 mm, place it in a 22 cm tart ring, trim the excess and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

   Time: PT10M

6. Prepare the syrup and poach the pears

   In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar and seeds + the vanilla bean to a boil. Meanwhile, peel, core and halve the pears. Submerge the pears in the hot syrup and poach for 20 minutes over medium heat.

   Time: PT20M

7. Make the pastry cream

   Heat the milk over medium heat until it simmers. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolk with the sugar and cornstarch. Pour the hot milk onto the mixture, stir, return to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring until thickened.

   Time: PT12M

8. Cool the pastry cream

   Transfer the cream onto a sheet of cling film, cover it directly and let cool for 15 minutes at room temperature or 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

   Time: PT15M

9. Prepare the almond cream

   In a bowl, cream the softened butter with the sugar. Add the whole egg at room temperature, mix, then incorporate the almond powder and the bitter almond extract. Mix until a very smooth paste is obtained.

   Time: PT9M

10. Combine the two creams

    Pour the cooled pastry cream into a large bowl, add the almond cream in two batches, mixing with a spatula to obtain a homogeneous frangipane.

    Time: PT5M

11. Assemble the tart

    Spread the frangipane over the cooled tart base up to the edge. Arrange the poached pears in a staggered pattern (north‑south‑east‑west) and place the central half‑pear in the middle.

    Time: PT10M

12. Baking

    Bake the tart in a preheated fan oven at 170 °C for 45 minutes until the surface is golden.

    Time: PT45M

    Temperature: 170°C

13. Finishing

    Allow to cool at room temperature, glaze the half‑pears with the neutral glaze using a brush, then lightly dust with powdered sugar.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

350

Protein

5 g

Carbohydrates

45 g

Fat

18 g

Fiber

3 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Unsalted butter (softened): Unsalted margarine
• Instead of Powdered sugar: Very fine granulated sugar
• Instead of T55 flour: All-purpose flour
• Instead of Whole egg: Beaten and weighed egg
• Instead of Almond powder: Hazelnut flour
• Instead of William pears: Bosc pears
• Instead of Sugar (syrup): Cane sugar
• Instead of Vanilla bean: Liquid vanilla extract (1 tsp)
• Instead of Whole milk: Semi-skimmed milk
• Instead of Cornstarch (Maizena): Potato starch
• Instead of Egg yolk: Pasteurized egg yolk
• Instead of Unsalted butter (softened) – almond cream: Unsalted margarine
• Instead of Whole egg – almond cream: Beaten whole egg
• Instead of Almond powder – almond cream: Almond flour
• Instead of Bitter almond extract: Sweet almond extract (use more)
• Instead of Neutral glaze (glaze): Diluted honey, Maple syrup

Equipment Needed

• Electric mixer
• Mixing bowl
• Rolling pin
• 22 cm tart ring
• Chef's knife
• Parchment paper
• Medium saucepan
• Whisk
• Silicone spatula
• Kitchen brush (optional)
• Oven (fan heat)
• Cling film

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Cream the butter with the powdered sugar
• Precisely weigh the egg (40 g)
• Chill the dough (minimum 2 h)
• Poach the pears until tender
• Fully cool the pastry cream before incorporating
• Mix the two creams without over‑beating
• Bake at 170 °C until golden

Chef Tips from the Video

• Weigh each ingredient, especially the egg, for a consistently successful dough.
• Sift the butter and sugar before creaming to avoid lumps.
• Use a scale to weigh the pears to achieve an even distribution.
• Dust the powdered sugar just before serving to prevent it from melting.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the tart in an airtight container for 2‑3 days.

Freezer: Wrap the tart (without glaze) in cling film then freeze for 1‑2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before gently reheating.

Room temperature: Consume the same day if kept at room temperature for less than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the sweet pastry dough the day before and keep it refrigerated.
• Poach the pears and keep them in their syrup refrigerated until assembly.
• Make the frangipane (pastry cream + almond cream) 12 hours ahead and keep it refrigerated.