Description
Ruby red pears over almond frangipane in a crisp pâte sucrée. Spiced wine poach, clean slices, bakery-level finish at home.
Ingredients
Pears
Dry red wine: 750 ml
Water: 250 ml
Sugar: 200 g (1 cup)
Orange peel: from 1 orange
Cinnamon stick: 1; star anise: 2; whole cloves: 4
Vanilla bean 1 (split) or extract 2 tsp
Firm pears (Bosc or Anjou): 4 large, peeled, halved, cored
Pâte Sucrée
All-purpose flour: 200 g (1⅔ cups)
Powdered sugar: 60 g (½ cup)
Fine salt: ¼ tsp
Cold unsalted butter: 115 g (½ cup), cubed
Large egg yolk: 1
Ice water: 1–2 tbsp, as needed
Frangipane
Soft unsalted butter: 90 g (6 tbsp)
Sugar: 100 g (½ cup)
Fine salt: ⅛ tsp
Large eggs: 2
Almond flour: 140 g (1¼ cups)
All-purpose flour: 20 g (3 tbsp)
Almond extract: ¼–½ tsp
Orange zest: ½ tsp (optional)
Finish
Apricot jam or red currant jelly: 60 g (¼ cup)
Reduced poaching syrup: 2–3 tbsp
Sliced almonds: 2 tbsp (optional)
Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
Poach pears. Combine wine, water, sugar, citrus, spices, and vanilla. Simmer to dissolve sugar. Add pears; poach 15–20 min, turning once, until just tender. Remove pears. Reduce liquid to ~300 ml (1¼ cups). Cool.
Make dough. Whisk flour, powdered sugar, salt. Cut in butter to sandy crumbs. Mix in yolk and 1 tbsp water; fraisage until it holds. Add drops of water only if dry. Wrap; chill 45–60 min.
Blind-bake shell. Heat oven 375°F/190°C. Roll to fit a 9–10 in tart pan. Dock. Freeze 15 min. Line and weight. Bake 15 min. Remove weights; bake 7–10 min until dry and lightly golden. Cool. Lower oven to 350°F/175°C.
Frangipane. Cream butter, sugar, and salt 1–2 min. Beat in eggs one by one. Fold in almond flour, AP flour, extract, zest.
Prep pears. Pat dry. Fan each half with thin slices, keeping stem end intact. Brush with a little reduced syrup.
Assemble. Spread frangipane in cooled shell. Arrange 5–6 fanned halves on top.
Bake. 350°F/175°C, 35–45 min until frangipane puffs and sets. Cool 20 min.
Glaze. Warm jam with 2–3 tbsp reduced syrup; strain. Brush pears and exposed frangipane. Finish with almonds. Cool to room temp before slicing.
Notes
Use firm-ripe pears; overripe fruit collapses.
Keep poach at a gentle simmer for clean texture.
Dry pears well to avoid soggy spots.
Do not overbake; carryover heat finishes the center.
For sharp edges, chill dough and freeze the lined shell before baking.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Poach, Blind-Bake, Bake
- Cuisine: French-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 tart)
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
Keywords: red wine poached pear tart, frangipane tart, pear frangipane, pâte sucrée, almond tart, holiday dessert