Sandra Ina Garten Pear Tart Recipe is a classic French-style dessert featuring ripe pears and almond cream. This elegant tart uses a buttery shortcrust pastry, nutty frangipane, and a glossy apricot glaze.
The first time I made this, I used pears that were too soft and they turned to mush in the oven. Now I always choose fruit that’s still firm to the touch so it keeps its shape against the rich almond filling. If you don’t chill the pastry properly, it will shrink down the sides of the tin during the blind bake.
The almond cream, or frangipane, is what holds the whole dish together. It puffs up around the fruit and creates a soft, cake-like texture that soaks up all the pear juices. I love serving this at dinner parties because it looks like it came from a professional patisserie.
Ina Garten Pear Tart Recipe Ingredients
For the Tart Crust
- 155g (5 1/2oz) plain flour
- 115g (4oz) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 25g (1oz) caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 3–4 tbsp ice water
For the Almond Cream Filling
- 115g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 100g (3 1/2oz) caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 100g (3 1/2oz) ground almonds
- 10g (1/2oz) plain flour
For the Pears
- 3–4 ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
How To Make Ina Garten Pear Tart
- Make the crust dough: Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor and pulse once to mix. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Pour in the water one spoonful at a time and pulse until the dough just starts to clump together.
- Prepare and chill the crust: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and pat it into a flat disc. Roll it out until it is large enough to line a 23cm (9in) tart tin. Press the pastry into the edges, trim off the overhanging bits, and prick the base all over with a fork before chilling in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Blind bake the crust: Heat your oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas Mark 5). Line the pastry with greaseproof paper, fill it with ceramic baking beans, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for another 5 minutes until the base looks dry and set.
- Make the almond cream: Beat the softened butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well. Fold in the ground almonds and the small amount of flour until you have a thick, smooth paste.
- Assemble the tart: Spread the almond cream in an even layer over the bottom of the cooled pastry case. Lay the pear slices on top of the cream in a circular pattern, overlapping them slightly like a fan. Brush the fruit with lemon juice so the slices do not turn brown before they hit the heat.
- Bake the tart: Put the tin back in the oven at 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) and bake for 35–40 minutes. You will know it is ready when the almond cream has puffed up and turned golden brown around the fruit.
- Glaze and cool: Heat the apricot jam in a small pan until it is runny. Brush the warm glaze over the pears and the almond filling to give the tart a professional shine. Let it cool in the tin for at least an hour so the filling sets firm enough to slice.
Recipe Tips
- Use cold butter for the pastry to make sure you get a flaky, crisp texture. If the fat gets too warm while you are working the dough, the crust will turn out tough and greasy.
- Choose firm pears like Conference or Anjou that are just starting to ripen. Very juicy, soft pears will release too much liquid and make the almond cream soggy.
- Blind bake thoroughly to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom. The pastry needs to be fully set and starting to colour before you add the damp almond filling.
- Pulse the processor sparingly when making the dough. Overworking the flour develops the gluten, which causes the pastry to shrink and become rubbery.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. The pastry will soften slightly over time, but the flavours of the almond and pear actually improve after a day.
What To Serve With Pear Tart
This tart is rich enough to serve on its own, but a dollop of cold crème fraîche adds a sharp contrast to the sweet fruit. You could also try a pour of double cream or a scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream.
If you want to keep things light, a glass of chilled dessert wine works well. The acidity in the wine cuts through the buttery pastry and the dense almond frangipane.
How To Store Pear Tart
Fridge
Wrap the cooled tart loosely in clingfilm or place it in an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for 3 days. Take it out 30 minutes before serving to let it come back to room temperature.
Reheat
Warm individual slices in the oven at 150°C (300°F/Gas Mark 2) for about 10 minutes to crisp the pastry. Using a microwave is faster but it will make the crust soft and chewy.
Freeze
Wrap the unglazed, baked tart tightly in double layers of foil and freeze for up to two months. Thaw it completely in the fridge overnight before glazing with warm jam and serving.
Ina Garten Pear Tart Recipe Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 412kcal
- Protein: 6g
- Fat: 26g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 85mg
Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods
FAQs
Use Conference, Bosc, or Anjou pears that are firm but give slightly when pressed near the stem. Avoid Williams pears if they are very ripe as they contain too much water for the filling.
Yes, you can keep the raw dough in the fridge for two days or freeze it for a month. Just make sure it is wrapped tightly so it doesn’t pick up other flavours from the fridge.
This usually happens if you use a tin that is too shallow or if the butter and sugar were beaten too vigorously. If you incorporate too much air, the filling will rise like a soufflé and then collapse.
Ina Garten Pear Tart Recipe
Description
A crisp, buttery pastry shell filled with nutty almond frangipane and topped with elegant fans of tender sliced pears.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pulse flour, sugar, salt, and cold butter into crumbs then add water to form dough.
- Roll pastry into a 23cm tin and chill for 30 minutes before pricking the base.
- Blind bake at 190°C (375°F/Gas Mark 5) for 20 minutes until the base is dry.
- Cream softened butter and sugar then mix in egg, vanilla, almonds, and flour.
- Spread almond cream into the crust and top with lemon-brushed pear slices.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) for 40 minutes until the filling is golden.
- Glaze the warm fruit with melted apricot jam and cool before slicing.
