Many a Parisian knows their classic pear and almond tart. Known as Tarte Bourdaloue, it's found in many French patisseries, glazing around Paris since the 1900s.
This is a great recipe, absolutely a show stopper for most get togethers... I wish I could figure out how to send a picture through this post, but it truly came out amazing. - Ernie
My first reaction to the word, BOUR-DA-LOUE, years ago? I thought it was something you shouted in Scotland in the 18th Century before throwing out your rubbish from a high tenement building in Edinburgh's Royal Mile! Instead - read on and you'll discover, like me, the true story of this delicious French pear tart.
What Does Bourdaloue Mean?
Bourdaloue doesn't mean anything in French. Instead, this pear and almond tart gets its name from a Parisian street, rue Bourdaloue in Paris's 9th arrondissement.
To get to know the Parisian Bourdaloue Pear Tart better, I reached for Larousse Gastronomique. Translated into English it reads:
Bourdaloue is a tart invented by a pastry chef in Paris's Rue Bourdaloue during la Belle Epoque - composed of poached Pear Williams, drowned in a vanilla frangipane cream, covered in broken macarons and finally glazed in the oven.
Larousse Gastronomique
Who was Bourdaloue in Paris?
As the streets in Paris are mainly named after famous personalities in French history, it's always interesting to look up the street names themselves.
So who was Bourdaloue? Louis Bourdaloue was a French preacher - so eloquent, sharp and popular amongst all classes that King Louis XIV ensured he booked him to preach from the pulpit at the court of Versailles.
What's in a Bourdaloue Tart?
These above words for the tart's definition, "drowned in a vanilla frangipane cream" has me glazed over myself. But who knew it was also traditionally covered in broken macarons?
All versions I see from this tart in Paris patisseries are covered simply in slivered almonds. I'm not keen on breaking macarons - perhaps for a macaron tiramisu - so let's top with some shells. Now for the tart!
The frangipane cream filling is often made using a mix of both an almond cream and crème patissière (pastry cream). While this is absolutely delicious, for this recipe I prefer cutting corners: I skip the pastry cream step and make an easy almond cream adding a dash of good, dark Jamaican rum.
I'm sure the pears won't mind being drowned in that. After many tastings of the tart in Paris and trying it out at home, I'm happy with this version.
Just after I took these photos in the pear-fect street of Rue Bourdaloue in Paris's 9th arrondissement, I bit into this tartlet. The filling fell straight out of the soggy base.
Frankly for the price, it was disappointing and not the freshest of pastries that day. It can happen but it's incentive at times to make homemade - even in Paris!
What Kind of Pears are Used for the Bourdaloue Tart?
The kind of pears used for a pear and almond tart is pretty flexible. As from Larousse, I've made this tart using Williams, Comice and Conference. (These are also good for poaching pears from scratch - see this recipe for Poached Pears in Coffee and Vanilla for the method).
I've even tried using fresh pears (e.g. Bosc pears) without the pre-poaching: just act quickly and sprinkle with some lemon juice to prevent them turning brown but it's a bit risky and you have to work fast.
So pick pears that are not yet ripe but not brick hard either. Slightly soft yet firm is perfect.
For much more on pear varieties for desserts,
see the Market Produce page on pears.
This recipe, however, is based on the one in the Larousse French Book of Desserts, which uses tinned pears in syrup. If Pierre Hermé can do it in his recipe version, I don't feel too bad at cutting corners here with tinned! It's so much easier and just as tasty (incidentally, this is a rare occasion when tinned works well).
However, if you're following a professional pastry diploma like the French CAP Patisserie, then you wouldn't use tinned pears. After baking the tart, mix an egg yolk with water and brush it on to the pastry sides and bake for a further couple of minutes. Then you'd make a fancy nappage glaze to polish it all off.
Can Pear and Almond Tart Be Frozen?
Pear and almond tart can keep for a day at room temperature or for up to 3 days if stored covered in the fridge.
It also freezes well. Consume within 6 weeks, as otherwise it loses its lovely flavours.
How to Make a Parisian Bourdaloue Tart
However, for this easier recipe, just brush with about 4 tablespoons of slightly warmed apricot jam after the tart comes out of the oven.
Pie Crust: I recommend making your own tart pastry. Just follow the recipe for pâte sucrée with ground almonds in the base. There's no need to blind bake it, as long as you chill the pastry first. If you're short for time, use ready-made shortcrust pastry (pâte sablée).
So next time you roll your French tongue around Bourdaloue, think pear and almond tart, Louis the preacher, and the street named after him where the pastry was created in the 1900s in the 9th arrondisement.
More Almond Desserts and Cakes
- Try the (gâteau de) Saint Germain Almond Cake (like the Bourdaloue tart without the pear);
- the Reine de Saba - a French moist chocolate almond cake;
- Almond Tart with Strawberries;
- Moist Almond and Lemon Cake (gluten free);
- Financiers (almond teacakes);
- French Apple Tart with Nougat.
How to Serve
This tart is also delicious served with vanilla ice cream. But for something different, try lemon verbena ice cream - discovered recently on our road-trip holiday in a restaurant in Narbonne.
Love almond tarts? Try the gâteau Saint-Germain, an almond tart/cake speciality with rum from just outside Paris.
Pear and Almond Tart (French 'Tarte Bourdaloue')
Equipment
- 28cm/11-inch tart tin with removable bottom
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry or use ready-made shortcrust
- 125 g (4.5oz/½ cup) unsalted butter softened
- 75 g (3oz/½ cup) icing (powdered) sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt (fleur de sel, Maldon or Celtic salt)
- 1 organic egg
- 225 g (8oz/1.87 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour Type 45
- 25 g (1oz/¼ cup) ground almonds/almond flour
Pear and Almond Cream Filling:
- 6 half pears tinned
- 100 g (3.5oz/scant ½ cup) unsalted butter softened
- 75 g (3oz/ ⅓ cup) sugar
- 2 eggs organic
- 3 drops almond extract
- 100 g (3.5oz/1 cup) ground almonds (almond flour)
- 2 tablespoon good quality dark rum
- 20 g (handful) slivered almonds
Glaze:
- 100 g (3.5oz) apricot jam slightly warmed
Instructions
Sweet Pastry for the Tart Shell:
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle beater (otherwise mix by hand but use cold butter), mix the butter, sugar and salt until pale and creamy. Gradually add the egg, flour and ground almonds until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Wrap in cling film (plastic wrap) and chill in the fridge for an hour.
- Leave to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes then roll out the pastry to about 3-4mm on a lightly floured surface. Wrap the pastry around the rolling pin to transfer to the tart tin.
- Using your fingers, press the pastry right into the sides of the tin. Roll the rolling pin over the top to even off the pastry, prick with a fork then chill for 30 minutes.
Pear and Almond Filling:
- Drain the pear halves from the syrup on kitchen paper. When dry, cut them in slices horizontally (optional).
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy either by hand using a wooden spoon or in a mixer/food processor. Add the eggs, almond extract, ground almonds and rum.
- Spread over this mixture evenly over the tart base using a palette knife (or pipe it out in a spiral). For a 28cm tin, this will look quite thin but it will puff up in the oven and keep your tart golden and crispy.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan/Gas 6). Using a palette knife, carefully transfer the pears evenly over the top and sprinkle with the slivered almonds.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 or until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the tin and brush over with the apricot jam.
Notes
This post was first published 8th December 2018 but has now been updated with a printable recipe and updated text.
Liz Berg
What a delicious autumnal dessert!! I love pears almost as much as apples for fall baking. I can't wait to try it. xo
Jill Colonna
It is pear and almond heaven, Liz. Yes, please do try it - this one is just like the ones we get in Paris. Come back soon!
Jeff Paris
Hi - love the recipe but I’ve noticed you didn’t blind baked the tart shell. Was it intentional?
Jill Colonna
Hi Jeff - I'm so glad you love the recipe and you're totally right: I don't blind bake the tart shell and so there's no error at all. It works well without it! On the other hand, I'll add a couple of words to the recipe to ensure it's understood. Jill
Ernie Banfalvy
This is a great recipe, absolutely a show stopper for most get togethers... I wish I could figure out how to send a picture through this post, but it truly came out amazing...
Jill Colonna
So happy you like this, Ernie. Please do share your photo via Facebook or Instagram on the Mad About Macarons page! It would be so lovely to see it. My links are at the top of this website x
Julie
Great job mum! x
Jill Colonna
Biggest compliment you popping in here, Julie. Merci x
Thomasina
I love fresh William pears and this tart looked so good I immediately wanted to make it. It's so delicious! Thanks for the handy recipe print-outs. I have kept it to definitely make this pear almond tart again.
Bea
Perfect for my New Year's! Thank you for timing this just right. Will be making it in a few minutes. I love pears & especially Asian Pears that I still have.
Jill Colonna
That's great! Happy Delicious New Year to you, Bea. Never made this with Asian pears - bet that must be good!
Christina Conte
Looks wonderful, Jill, and the use of the tinned pears makes it perfect for making when pears are no longer in season! I've never had this tart and truthfully, don't use pears nearly as often as I should! You've inspired me!
Jill Colonna
Yep, this is the one time I go against my rule of using fresh. Hope you try this, Christina.
Liz
I think Dorie Greenspan had a similar recipe that I made eons ago, and yours looks magnificent! I adore pears and this is a good excuse to use them in a lovely dessert!! xo
Jill Colonna
She probably does as it's a right French classic - well, Parisian. I'm excited that it has macarons on top too! Thanks, Liz.
Madonna
I made a version of this last week. I love this tart. I always cook from scratch, but used the canned pears because I read that Paule Caillat used canned pears. Mine called for 25 grams of flour, I see that you use no flour in the cream, so I will leave that out. I will sprinkle some almonds on top the next time I make it.
Jill Colonna
Glad you love this too. Yes, canned pears make it all so much easier and just as tasty, don't they? I've never added flour to the almond cream, as there's enough ground almonds that does the job and keeps it light. Thanks for popping in!
Madonna
Okay, I'm ditching the flour from now on. 🙂