Delicious Bourdaloue Tart: A French Dessert Recipe

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I go to the market almost every day, and I never bring a shopping list. I decide on my menu depending on the fruits and vegetables that catch my eye. This time, I chose to buy some pears to make the famous Bourdaloue tart. It brings back memories of my childhood, when we were living in Paris. I remember how my nose was always pressed against the windows of pastry shops, amazed by so many beautiful and tempting treats.

I’m still as much of a sweet tooth as ever.

The Bourdaloue tart is one of those timeless French desserts. It first appeared in Paris in the 19th century, on a little street called Rue Bourdaloue, that’s where it gets its name and Bourdaloue Street is located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, between Rue des Martyrs and Rue de Rochechouart.

The Boudaloue tart, is made with a shortcrust pastry (pâte sablée), almond cream, poached pear halves a sliced almonds and apricot glaze.

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Ingredients for the pears:

-1 liter of water

-3 firm pears (Conference for me)

-500 g of caster sugar

-1 cinnamon stick

Method:

1.Peel the pears.

2.Rub them with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning.

3.In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar and cinnamon.

4.Bring to a boil over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.

5.Gently place the pears into the simmering syrup.

6.Cover with a lid to ensure the pears are fully submerged.

7.Cook on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and ripeness of the pears. 

8.They should be tender , carefully remove the pears and place them on a serving dish. 

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Ingredients for the crust:

-250 g all-purpose flour

-120 g unsalted butter, cold, diced

-80 g powdered sugar

-1 egg yolk

-2–3 tbsp cold milk (to assemble the dough)

-Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Into a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt (work gently with your fingers).

2.Rub in the butter until sandy.

3.Add egg yolk and just enough milk to bring dough together.

4.Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill 30 min into the refrigerator.

5.Flour a clean surface and roll out with a rolling pin the size of tart pan (18 centimeters is perfect) and line tart pan (do not forget to grease your tart pan before, for the recipe I used 3 individuals tart pan).

6.Chill again 15 min.

7.Prick base with a fork

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Ingredients for the almond cream:

-100 g almond flour (ground almonds)

-100 g unsalted butter, softened

-100 g caster sugar

-2 eggs

-1 tbsp flour (or cornstarch)

Method:

1. Into a bowl cream butter and sugar (until it becomes pale and creamy).

2.Add eggs one by one and continue to whisk.

3.Stir in almond flour and a spoonful of regular flour and whisk until the cream becomes homogeneous.

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Assemble the tart:

1.Spread almond cream evenly in tart shell.

2.Slice pears thinly lengtwhise (keeping halves together) on the top of the cream.

3.Place the sliced almonds around the tart as shown in the photo.

4.Bake at 180C degrees for 45 minutes or when the bottom is golden brown.

5.Remove from the oven.

6. Warm a little apricot jam with a spoonful of water, brush over pears for shine and some icing sugar on the top of almond flakes.

Perfect with a strong coffee or a cup of tea 🙂

Bonne dégustation!

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PS: I suggest starting with the pears, then moving on to your pastry dough. While it rests in the refrigerator, you can prepare the almond cream. This way, everything will come together perfectly in terms of timing, temperature, and resting.