Fall is here, and with it comes a delightful addition to our bakery’s menu – our Pear Bourdaloue Tart. Made with the finest
“Bartlett pears” from Kiyokawa Family Orchards, this exquisite treat is a true celebration of the season.
A DELICIOUS EXPERIENCE
Dominique was excited to taste their Bartlett pears during his recent visit to the orchard. They evoked fond memories of his childhood in him of the pears from Normandy. Inspired, he chose to highlight these pears and fine tuned his recipe to enhance the fruit’s exquisite flavor and texture.
A SLICE OF HEAVEN
St. Honore’s Pear Bourdaloue Tart is a harmonious blend of flavors and textures. Imagine a buttery pastry crust enveloping tender halves of “Bartlett pears in moist almond cream.” Each bite offers a perfect balance of natural pear sweetness and the subtle richness of almond cream. It’s an indulgence that can be savored as a dessert or paired with your morning coffee for a delightful start to the day.
FEELING INSPIRED?
If you want to recreate this culinary masterpiece at home, we’ve got you covered with a simple recipe!
Here is our homemade version of the Pear Bourdaloue Tart recipe that Dominique featured in
our beloved local cookbook,
‘Portland, Oregon Chef’s Table’ by Laurie Wolf.
Enjoy!
It is important to let the tart rest after covering the surface with sugar before baking. This process, along with the sprinkled almond slices, creates a thin top crust with a crunchy texture, which is unique to this tart.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 large Bartlett pear*
- 12 vanilla bean, split and scraped
*Can be substituted with a canned pear.
In a small saucepan dissolve the sugar in water to make a simple syrup.
Peel, halve, and core a pear. Poach the pear in the simple syrup by simmering over low heat with the vanilla beans (pod and beans) until soft. Let cool.
Make the almond batter: Combine sugar and almond meal in a bowl.
Beat the eggs and add them to the dry mix. Stir until fully dissolved. Add the almond extract and pear liquid and stir well.
Prepare the tart: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a 9-inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Allow the puff pastry to defrost according to the directions on the package. Form the dough into the tin and crown the rim with a little edge of Dough.
For the almond batter:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup almond meal
- 4 large eggs
- 1 drop almond extract
- 2 tablespoons pear poaching liquid**
- Frozen puff pastry, good quality
- Almond batter (see recipe below)
- Granulated sugar
- Sliced almonds
**Substitute with juice from canned pears.
Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with beans or pie weights.
Prebake the shell in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until set and light golden on the bottom. Let the shell cool. Remove the beans.
Chop the poached pear to 1/2-inch size and place on the bottom of the shell. Pour batter over pears to just below the rim of the shell.
Sprinkle a generous amount of granulated sugar to cover the top surface, and let rest to form a film, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Scatter sliced almonds over the surface of the
tart. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until the
center is firm to the touch.
Allow to cool before removing from tart tin.
Note: The dough in the following recipe can be used instead
of the frozen puff pastry.
Food Processor Quick Pie/Tart Dough
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1/2 cup ice water
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a sealable plastic bag and freeze completely. (This may be done up to 3 months in advance.)
Mix vinegar and ice water in a bowl.
Turn the contents of the freezer bag into a food processor; pulse until chunks of butter are the size of large peas.
Add vinegar mixture to flour mixture and pulse
briefly just to incorporate. Form the dough into a
disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for
at least 1 hour or overnight.
On a well-floured surface, roll dough out to 1/8-
inch thick. Fit into pie/tart pan and cut away
excess dough. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick the bottom of
the shell with a fork; line the shell with foil and fill
with dried beans. Bake the shell for 10 minutes.
Remove the beans and foil and bake the shell
until light brown, about 10 minutes more. Let cool
before filling.
We invite you to visit our bakery to experience the Pear Bourdaloue Tart firsthand. Indulge in this exquisite creation, and let every bite transport you to the heart of autumn’s flavors.
Whether you enjoy it at our locations or try your hand at baking, the Pear Bourdaloue Tart is a seasonal sensation
that promises to delight your taste buds.
Don’t miss out on this treat – it’s available now at all our locations!
We look forward to sharing the joy of this delightful creation with you. Visit us today and savor the flavors of the season.
