Pear and Almond Tart

Name: Pear and Almond Tart
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1¼ cups all-purpose flour; 1½ tablespoons sugar; ¼ teaspoon salt; 7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter; 1 large egg yolk; 2½ tablespoons cold water; 2 whole firm-ripe pears; 2½ tablespoons poire William; 3 large eggs and yolk; 3 tablespoons sugar; ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract; ⅔ cup crème fraîche; 1 cup sliced almonds; ¼ cup sugar; 1 large egg white; 1 piece tart pan

A elegant French-inspired dessert featuring tender pears and almonds in a buttery pastry crust, filled with a rich custard made with crème fraîche and finished with a crispy almond topping.

8 servings

3 hr 20 min

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

•1¼ cups all-purpose flour
•1½ tablespoons sugar
•¼ teaspoon salt
•7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
•1 large egg yolk
•2½ tablespoons cold water
•2 whole firm-ripe pears
•2½ tablespoons poire William
•3 large eggs and yolk
•3 tablespoons sugar
•¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
•⅔ cup crème fraîche
•1 cup sliced almonds
•¼ cup sugar
•1 large egg white
•1 piece tart pan

Cooking Instructions

1.
Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Beat together yolk and water with a fork and stir into flour mixture until combined well.
10 min
2.
Knead mixture gently in bowl with floured hands just until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 4 or 5 times more. Form dough into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk.
5 min
3.
Chill, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.
60 min
4.
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
10 min
5.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round.
5 min
6.
Slide bottom of tart pan (separate from rim) under dough and set into rim of tart pan. Cut off excess dough, leaving 1/2-inch overhang, and fold overhang inward. Press dough against side of pan, pushing dough 1/4 inch above rim. Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork and chill until firm, 10 to 15 minutes.
15 min
7.
Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 20 to 30 minutes.
25 min
8.
Carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until golden, 15 to 25 minutes more. Leave oven on.
20 min
9.
Put a heavy baking sheet in oven. Peel and core pears, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Toss pears with 1 tablespoon pear brandy in a bowl, then arrange, overlapping, in tart shell. Put a pie shield on tart pan or cover rim with foil and transfer to baking sheet in oven. Bake just until pears are barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave oven on.
12 min
10.
Whisk together eggs, yolk, sugar, vanilla, crème fraîche, a pinch of salt, and remaining 1 tablespoons pear brandy until smooth. Pour over pears.
5 min
11.
Bake until custard is just set 2 inches from edge, about 18 minutes. Remove from oven and remove pie shield.
18 min
12.
Stir together all topping ingredients, then gently sprinkle over custard and bake until top is pale golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool tart to warm or room temperature in pan on a rack.
15 min

Ingredients

•1¼ cups all-purpose flour

•1½ tablespoons sugar

•¼ teaspoon salt

•7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

•1 large egg yolk

•2½ tablespoons cold water

•2 whole firm-ripe pears

•2½ tablespoons poire William

•3 large eggs and yolk

•3 tablespoons sugar

•¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

•⅔ cup crème fraîche

•1 cup sliced almonds

•¼ cup sugar

•1 large egg white

•1 piece tart pan

Cooking Instructions

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Beat together yolk and water with a fork and stir into flour mixture until combined well.

10 min

Knead mixture gently in bowl with floured hands just until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 4 or 5 times more. Form dough into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk.

5 min

Chill, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

60 min

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

10 min

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round.

5 min

Slide bottom of tart pan (separate from rim) under dough and set into rim of tart pan. Cut off excess dough, leaving 1/2-inch overhang, and fold overhang inward. Press dough against side of pan, pushing dough 1/4 inch above rim. Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork and chill until firm, 10 to 15 minutes.

15 min

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 20 to 30 minutes.

25 min

Carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until golden, 15 to 25 minutes more. Leave oven on.

20 min

Put a heavy baking sheet in oven. Peel and core pears, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Toss pears with 1 tablespoon pear brandy in a bowl, then arrange, overlapping, in tart shell. Put a pie shield on tart pan or cover rim with foil and transfer to baking sheet in oven. Bake just until pears are barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave oven on.

12 min

10.

Whisk together eggs, yolk, sugar, vanilla, crème fraîche, a pinch of salt, and remaining 1 tablespoons pear brandy until smooth. Pour over pears.

5 min

11.

Bake until custard is just set 2 inches from edge, about 18 minutes. Remove from oven and remove pie shield.

18 min

12.

Stir together all topping ingredients, then gently sprinkle over custard and bake until top is pale golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool tart to warm or room temperature in pan on a rack.

15 min