Pear Crumble Frangipane Tart

I’ve ben waiting too long to make something with pears…

I am so disappointed I have not baked with pears that much.  I mean they are pretty much apples’ cousins, and I am a huge fan of apples – especially green ones.  Plus I never thought pears were so pretty in baked goods, especially tarts, which is one reason why I am sharing this Pear Crumble Frangipane Tart with you today 🙂

The first day of spring was exactly seven days ago, but I had a flashback to fall with this recipe.  The warmer cinnamon flavors combined with the pear remind me of those cool, crisp, 50s ?F autumn days.  And I don’t mind that.  Hopefully the super frigid weather is behind us, and we are able to move into the warmer seasons.  I am so excited to finally dive into everything Easter.  Ok, I’ve already digressed.

Let’s just say I love frangipane.  It has the perfect amount of sweetness and is not too, too heavy (although we do add some butter in there, I mean how can you not?).  If you’ve never had frangipane, its texture is super unique.  Slightly crumbly and grainy, but simultaneously soft and similar to marzipan, understandably.

One last tip – I recommend using bosc and bartlett pears for this recipe.  The bosc are slightly firmer and more tart than the bartlett, and together, they’re a match made in heaven (together with the frangipane, of course)!  If you make this recipe, tag your creation with the #foodfinessa!

Pear Crumble Frangipane Tart

Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Pastry Crust)

  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 8 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/4 cup cold milk ((preferably whole milk))

Frangipane Filling

  • 1/3 cup light, packed brown sugar
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1-1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 3-4 pears, thinly sliced ((I recommend bosc and bartlett pears.))

Almond Crumble

  • 1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp light, packed brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  1. To make the sweet pastry crust, in a large bowl, add flour, salt, and cold, unsalted butter. Cut the butter into the flour and salt using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand. Gradually add 1 tbsp of the milk until the mixture just comes together (about 4-5 tbsp of milk total). Roll out dough until it is about 1/2 inch thick, press into an 8″ diameter fluted tart pan, and score the dough with a fork. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or up to 4 days.
  2. Preheat oven to 350?F. To make the frangipane filling, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer, cream together brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, and beat until well combined. Fold in almond flour and salt, and set mixture aside.
  3. Add maple syrup to a large skillet, and heat over low heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Add thin pear slices to maple syrup, and let them cook for no more than 5 minutes, until they are pliable. Remove from heat.
  4. Add frangipane filling to tart shell, and arrange pear slices on top. Bake tart for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and the pears are tender. Allow tart to cool. While tart is cooling, prepare the almond crumble. In a small skillet over low heat, add all of the crumble ingredients, and stir frequently until mixture comes together. Serve tart with the crumble and ice cream, and enjoy!

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