Paris-Style Almond Pear Tart (Frangipane) with Maple Glaze
If you love elegant French desserts, this almond pear tart with maple glaze is a must-try. Inspired by the classic tarte Bourdaloue but with a modern twist, it combines buttery sweet pastry, rich almond frangipane, and tender poached pears finished with a golden maple coating and toasted almonds. This Paris-style pear frangipane tart is easier to make than it looks and perfect for cozy autumn dinners, festive holiday tables, or any occasion when you want to impress. Based on my latest YouTube video — but with a few key improvements to texture, sweetness, and baking technique — this updated version will become your go-to recipe for a show-stopping almond and pear dessert.
Ingrédients
Sweet Tart Dough (by hand, “brisée-style” with icing sugar, per video)
- All-purpose flour – 250 g 2 cups
- Icing sugar – 115 g 1 cup (video mentions sugar; here clarified as icing sugar as said on camera)
- Unsalted butter room temp – 125 g (9 tbsp)
- Egg yolk – 1 from 1 large egg
- Cold water – 50 ml 3 tbsp + 1 tsp
- Pinch of salt omit if using salted butter, as in the video
Vanilla-Poached Pears
- Ripe but firm pears – 3–4 medium 700–800 g whole
- Water – 500 ml 2 cups
- Sugar – 50 g ¼ cup
- Vanilla – ½–1 tsp extract or seeds of ½ bean
- Lemon juice – 1–2 tsp a quick squeeze
Almond Cream (Frangipane — 1:1:1:1 ratio used in video)
- Unsalted butter room temp – 125 g (9 tbsp)
- Cane sugar or fine sugar – 125 g (⅝ cup)
- Eggs – 2 large ≈125 g total
- Almond flour – 125 g 1¼ cups, lightly packed
- Dark rum – 1 tbsp optional
- Pinch fine salt omit if butter is salted
Finish
- Sliced almonds – 30–40 g ¼–⅓ cup, toasted in a dry pan
- Maple syrup – 1–2 tbsp or warm honey for glazing “glue”
Instructions
Make the dough
- In a bowl, whisk flour + icing sugar + salt. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until sandy. Make a well; add yolk + 50 ml cold water. Mix just to combine (don’t knead). Shape, wrap, rest 1 hour at cool room temp (or 30–45 min in the fridge).
Poach the pears
- Bring water, sugar, vanilla, lemon to a gentle simmer. Peel, halve, and core the pears. Poach 2–10 minutes depending on ripeness (video used very ripe pears → ~2 min). Remove; cool completely and pat dry.
Make frangipane
- Cream butter + sugar until paler. Beat in eggs one by one, then fold in almond flour, rum (optional), and pinch salt.
Roll & line
- Lightly flour the counter. Roll the rested dough to 2–3 mm. Line a 23 cm / 9-inch tart pan (removable bottom). Trim edges and dock the base. Chill 10–15 minutes.
Assemble
- Spread frangipane in an even layer. Slice each pear half thinly without separating, fan, and set on top (3–4 halves). Gently press into the cream.
Bake
- Bake at 175–180°C / 350°F for ~35 minutes (as in video) until the center is set and the top is lightly golden. A toothpick comes out clean.
Finish
- Toast sliced almonds in a dry skillet until lightly colored. Brush tart with maple syrup (or warm honey) — it acts as a “glue” — then sprinkle the toasted almonds. Cool 20–30 min, unmold, slice.
Vidéo
Notes
Substitutions & Tips
- Butter: salted butter is fine (skip added salt) — this matches the video.
- Pears: good canned pear halves (well-drained and patted dry) work; skip poaching.
- Frangipane stability (optional): if your pears are very juicy, whisk 1 tbsp (8–12 g) cornstarch into the almond flour.
- Shine: maple syrup adds a Canadian note; apricot jam warmed with 1 tsp water is classic.
FAQ
Do I need to blind-bake?Not required here. Chilling the lined shell and baking to golden-set is enough. Blind-bake if you prefer an extra-crisp base. My pears were too soft—what happened?
Reduce poaching time (very ripe pears may need only 2–3 minutes) and pat them dry before assembly. Pan size?
A 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom is ideal for these quantities.