I’m going to be utterly sincere about how this dessert took place: It was an impromptu creation that got here out of my need to make use of up all the pieces in my fridge. I had spent the week testing a number of recipes—Zola Gregory’s almond cream and Rebecca Frey’s tart dough, amongst them—and had many pears mendacity round at dwelling. The chance for a pear and almond cream tart (or what is usually erroneously known as a pear and frangipane tart—extra on that under) virtually offered itself: All I needed to do was fill a blind-baked tart shell with almond cream, prime it with sliced pears, then chuck it within the oven. Which is precisely what I did.

Though this tart was spawned from humble fridge-cleanout beginnings, the outcomes had been spectacular: The tart was crisp and buttery, with a candy, nutty almond filling and tender pears. As a result of the almond cream (crème d’amande) used to fill the tart is usually mistakenly known as frangipane, this dessert is finest often known as a pear and frangipane tart. In French pastry, nevertheless, frangipane refers to a mix that’s sometimes one half pastry cream and two elements almond cream. For that motive, we’re calling it a pear-almond tart—although you might acknowledge it as a pear and frangipane tart. No matter you name it, it’s a chic dessert that’s actually fairly easy to place collectively and equally excellent for making on a weeknight or for a festive vacation social gathering.

To make this dessert, I begin with a blind-baked tart shell. I really like the flexibility and buttery taste of pâte brisée, which is what I take advantage of under, however you too can swap in pâte sablée (sandy dough) or pâte sucrée (candy dough), two different basic French doughs usually used to arrange tarts. Should you don’t really feel like getting ready your personal tart dough, you should purchase a ready-made dough; for ease and comfort, I like to recommend selecting a frozen pie shell that has already been formed in its tin.

Some recipes for pear and frangipane tarts could let you know that blind-baking the shell earlier than filling it’s pointless, because you’ll should bake the tart once more when you fill it. I’ve tried each strategies, nevertheless, and discover that beginning with a par-baked crust produces a completed tart with a a lot sturdier base that may face up to the moisture of the almond cream and is ready to keep crisp for for much longer. After I began with uncooked dough, the underside—although cooked—remained comparatively smooth, with a cake-like texture that made it harder to slice into items and was much less satisfying to eat.

Subsequent comes the filling: I fill my tart with Gregory’s almond cream, although I put together a model with out the orange zest to permit the flavour of the pears to shine on their very own. Like Gregory, I toast the almond flour, which reinforces the almond cream’s nuttiness, and incorporate loads of almond extract, vanilla extract, and brandy for daring taste.

After I unfold the almond cream within the tart shell, I lay thinly sliced pears on prime and gently press them into the filling. Any pears will work right here, although I like to recommend reaching for just-ripe pears which have some firmness. Keep away from overly ripe pears, as they might be tough to slice neatly and soften an excessive amount of throughout the cooking course of. As soon as the pears are on prime, I return the tart to the oven and bake till the almond cream is frivolously golden and the pears have softened.

After baking, I prefer to brush the pears with honey to provide them a pleasant sheen and extra sweetness, however the tart is simply as scrumptious with out that additional contact. It is a comparatively fast dessert that is significantly good for the winter holidays, however I might be completely happy to eat it any time—whether or not or not it is a fridge cleanout day.

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