Tarte Bourdaloue
Ingredients
- 140 g unsalted butter, softened, for the pastry
- 80 g icing sugar
- 25 g almond flour, for the pastry
- 1 egg
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 firm but ripe pears
- 500 ml water, 100 g sugar, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 star anise, for poaching
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened, for the almond cream
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g almond flour, for the almond cream
- 2 eggs
- A few drops of almond extract (optional)
- 30 g sliced almonds
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
Nineteenth-century Paris had a pastry shop on rue Bourdaloue, and the tart that came out of it pairs two things that need each other: pears poached until they give up their graininess, and an almond cream rich enough to hold them without turning to sponge. The shell is a pâte sucrée blind-baked first so it stays crisp under the wet fruit. Pear halves are sliced thin, kept in shape and laid rounded-side up over the cream, and the whole thing is finished with flaked almonds and a brush of warm apricot jam.
Method
Cream the butter with the icing sugar until pale, beat in the egg, then work in the flour, almond flour and salt. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment and chill for 1 hour.
Line the tart pan with the dough, cover with parchment and baking beans, and blind-bake at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes.
Peel, halve and core the pears. Bring the water, sugar and spices to the boil, add the pears and simmer 10-20 minutes until tender, then cool them on a plate.
For the almond cream, beat the softened butter with the sugar and almond flour until smooth, add the eggs one at a time, and stir in the almond extract if using.
Spread the almond cream evenly in the pastry shell.
Slice each pear half thinly crosswise, keep the shape, and arrange the halves over the cream rounded-side up. Scatter with sliced almonds.
Bake 30-40 minutes until set and golden, cool completely, and brush with warmed apricot jam.
