Pear and Vanilla Almond Tart
Pear and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla almond tart: shortbread pastry, almond cream and pears. For 6 people.
- Prep 30 min
- Cooking 35 min
- Total 65 min
- Serves 6 servings
- Difficulty Medium
Almond tart combines a sweet shortcrust pastry, an almond cream and pears. This version flavours it with a Bourbon vanilla pod, which our family grows and prepares in the SAVA region, in north-eastern Madagascar.
The almond cream rises and browns as it bakes, while the pears stay soft and melting. The tart is served warm or at room temperature.
Preparation
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Prepare the shortbread pastry: mix the flour, sugar, ground almonds and salt. Add the soft butter in pieces then the egg yolk, and work quickly until you get a smooth ball. Wrap and let rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Roll out the pastry and line a tart tin about 24 cm, then prick the base with a fork.
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Split the Vanille Désiré Madagascar Bourbon vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife.
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Prepare the almond cream: beat the soft butter with the sugar until the mixture turns pale, add the eggs one at a time, then the ground almonds, vanilla seeds and rum.
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Spread the almond cream over the tart base. Cut the drained pears into thin slices and arrange them in a rosette pattern over the cream. Sprinkle with flaked almonds.
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Bake for 35 minutes, until the cream is puffed up and nicely golden. Let cool slightly before unmoulding.
The little extra that changes everything
Scrape the pod over the bowl of almond cream so no seeds are lost, and keep the emptied pod: it will flavour a jar of sugar. Draining the pears well before cutting them stops their juice from soaking the almond cream during baking. To learn more about this vanilla, see our guide to Bourbon Planifolia vanilla. Another vanilla pear recipe: our vanilla poached pears. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar Bourbon vanilla pods
