Wine Poached Pear Tart with Frangipane {Almond Cream}

This elegant Pear Tart filled with Frangipane (almond cream) and topped with Red and White Wine Poached Pears tastes just as impressive as it looks. And, while it might appear difficult to make, it's surprisingly simple. As most good things are.

The tart is best eaten the day it's made, but each component - the pastry dough, frangipane, and poached pears can be prepared days in advance.

This is one of those desserts that you make when you really want to impress people with your mad baking skills but you don't actually want to put in that much effort. To be clear - this pear tart is not as simple as a quick batch of 1-hour cupcakes or a giant skilled-baked chocolate chip cookie. But, it's also not on the level of anything you'd need a degree in pastry arts to make. It just looks like it is.

Honestly, I think if you are someone who hasn't really baked pastry at all, this tart is a great recipe to start with. The dough comes together easily with the use of a stand mixer. The frangipane requires little more than blending all the ingredients in a food processor. And, poached pears are literally nothing more than sliced pears cooked in wine.

After that, all that's left to do, is bake the tart and bask in the oooooh's and ahhhhhhh's of everyone lucky enough to get a slice.

The Pastry Dough

Preparing this pastry dough is simple but it's super-duper important to keep it cold ALL. THE. TIME. The dough contains a high proportion of butter (mmmmmm, butter). Keeping that butter cold is vital to the texture of the baked pastry.

Cold butter is less likely to be absorbed by the flour so that when you roll the pastry out, you get some interwoven layers of fat and flour. As the tart bakes, the butter melts, leaving pockets in the dough. This process is what creates a pastry that's light and flaky.

If the butter melts and blends into the flour before baking, you'll end up with a dense, cardboard-like texture. Not what we're going for here. Also, warm pastry dough is super difficult to work with.

So, before you begin to make the dough, cut the butter into chunks and pop it into the freezer for about 20 minutes to partially freeze it. Then, let a stand mixer do the work of gently mixing the butter into the flour, adding some cream and water to bring it all together.

Be careful to not over mix the dough - small pieces of butter throughout the dough is good! Wrap it up and pop it into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling it out. Press the dough into a tart pan, freeze it for about 20 minutes, and then assemble and bake the tart.

The dough can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, storing it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months, double wrapped in plastic.

A tart pan lined with pastry dough, ready to be baked.

It's important to keep the butter cold and not over mix the dough. You should be able to see pieces of butter in the dough.

The option to partially pre-bake the crust

In this pear tart recipe, you'll see an option to partially pre-bake the crust before filling with frangipane and poached pears. This is simply a matter of taste.

If you decide to not pre-bake the crust, the finished texture will be tender and delicious. It will still be sturdy enough to hold slices of tart together, allowing you to serve beautiful slices. But it won't have an audible crunch as you slice and eat it.

If you decide you want to pre-bake the crust, the finished texture will be quite crispy. The difference in texture is similar to the difference between a fig newton and vanilla wafer. Both are delicious, it just depends on what you're going for.

My husband prefers the softer texture while I lean slightly towards liking the crispy texture more. But, honestly, either option is good.

If you decide to partially pre-bake your pie crust, here's what to do:

After making and chilling the dough for at least 2 hours, heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Roll out the dough and press it into a tart pan. Cover and freeze for 20 minutes.
Remove the tart pan from the freezer and line the inside with aluminum foil then fill with dried beans or pie weights. This will hold the pastry down while it bakes.
Bake the pastry for 17 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and remove the beans and foil. Use a fork to poke holes across the surface of the dough (another measure to prevent the dough from puffing up while baking).
Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool completely before filling and baking the tart.

How to poach pears in wine

Honestly, as much as I love this tart, give me a plate of nothing but these poached pears and I will be blissfully happy. I'm telling you... something magical happens when you cook pears in wine.

The process is simply a matter of peeling and slicing pears and cooking them for a few minutes in red and white wine. The pears will keep for up to a week if you store them in the cooking liquid, so you can prepare them days in advance. The only dangerous thing about making them ahead of time is that you might eat them all before you've had a chance to make the tart. 🙄

What kind of pears to use and how to determine that they're ripe:

It's important to use Bosc pears because they are both flavorful and firm enough to not fall apart during the poaching process. Softer pears, like Bartlett, have a tendency to fall apart when you cook them.
To determine whether your pears are ripe, squeeze the top of the pear gently between your fingers. If you feel a slight give, they are ripe.
If your pears are underripe, don't worry. Simply let them simmer in the wine for a bit longer - 15 or 20 minutes. Every few minutes, poke one of them with a fork to see if it's tender. When it is, they're done.

Poaching pears in wine turns wine into liquid gold.

For this recipe, I mostly decided to poach half the pears in white wine and half the pears in red wine for the color. I love how pretty they look, red and white, across the top of this tart. But, I soon discovered that the subtle difference in flavor between the pears poached in red wine and the poached in white wine is also a good reason to do both.

On that note, if you are one of those people who either: a) doesn't like red wine or, b) doesn't like white wine, or c) doesn't like wine at all (god forbid 😩), I'm on my knees begging you to try the recipe as is.

Both the red and white wine poaching liquid contain some sugar to sweeten them up and cancel out any bitterness. As the pears poach, all the alcohol evaporates, leaving behind a gorgeous substance that is pure liquid gold. Or, as my friend Judy calls it, "the precious".

Seriously people. It doesn't matter what kind of a wine drinker you are or if you aren't a wine drinker at all. The liquid that's left behind after poaching is so incredibly delicious.

The recipe instructs you to let this liquid gold simmer for a while so that it reduces down into a syrup. The white wine syrup is then brushed over the baked tart, adding flavor, and giving it a lovely shine.

But, you'll have plenty left over. Keep both the red and white wine reductions in the refrigerator and then pour them over ice cream, cake, pancakes.... shoe leather... seriously, anything. You can also mix it into cocktails. Because it's liquid gold.Who wants a cocktail made with liquid gold? 🙋🏻‍♀️ ME, ME, ME!

My favorite thing to make with the leftover wine sauce...

Drizzle it over ice cream stuffed profiteroles.

Profiteroles (cream puffs) are buttery little balls of choux pastry (pâte à choux) baked until light, tender, and puffed up to form a hollow center. They are the perfect vessel for pastry cream, ice cream, whipped cream, or anything your imagination, and taste buds, can dream up. But, filled with ice cream and topped with a drizzle of the red and white wine reductions from this tart is my all time FAVORITE way to eat them.

What the heck is frangipane?

Frangipane, also called Almond Cream, is a paste made from ground almonds, almond paste, sugar, butter, and eggs. It's often compared to marzipan but it's closer in consistency to pastry cream and often used in the same way - as a filling for pastries like croissants, tarts, and cakes.

In addition to being absolutely delicious, frangipane is incredibly simple to make. You basically put everything in a food processor and process it into a paste. You can make it several days in advance, storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Arranging the pears all pretty like.

The fun of having red and white pears is that you can create a pretty design on the top of your tart. As you can see, I decided on a herringbone pattern. The first time I made this tart, I had a loose idea of what I wanted the tart to look like. I voiced this idea to my friend Judy (the homemade pasta queen) and she brought it to life, arranging the pears in the lovely pattern you see here.

I've also arranged them in a circle that looks a bit like the petals of a flower, which is also lovely. But, I'm sure there are a million different ways you could arrange the pears, so get creative and have fun with it.

To arrange the pears in a pattern similar to what you see here, lay the slices core side down at a 90 degree angle, pressing them down gently into the frangipane and alternating colors. As you build the rows, tuck the ends of the slices underneath the slices in the previous row.

Even after poaching, the pears are surprisingly sturdy, so if the arrangement isn't looking right to you, just lift the pears off the tart and start again.

One final word of advice:

This tart is best the day it's made, BUT all the components can be made in advance. The pastry dough can be made up to 2 days in advance, the frangipane can be made up to 3 days in advance, and the poached pears will last a week (maybe even longer) as long as you store them in their poaching liquid in the refrigerator.

With every component pre-made, assembling and baking the tart is a piece of cake. Or, um, a piece of tart.😊

Used to make this tart:

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Happy baking!

Pear Tart with Wine Poached Pears and Frangipane

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Author: Rebecca Blackwell
Prep Time: 60 minutes (not including refrigeration time)
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Print Recipe

Description

This elegant Pear Tart filled with Frangipane (almond cream) and Red and White Wine Poached Pears tastes just as impressive as it looks.

Ingredients

For the Tart Dough:

8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp kosher salt (OR, 1 tsp table salt)
6 tbsp heavy cream
about 3 tbsp ice water

For the wine poached pears:

6 Bosc pears
1 bottle (3 cups) of semi-sweet white wine (I like to use Riesling )
1 bottle (3 cups) of dry red wine (I like to use a cabernet or red blend)
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
½ tsp kosher salt, divided (use slightly less if using table salt)
1 orange
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Frangipane (almond cream):

1 ¼ cup dry roasted, unsalted almonds
5 tbsp granulated sugar
4 ounces almond paste
5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 ½ tsp kosher salt (OR, 1 tsp table salt)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp almond extract

Instructions

Make the Tart Dough:

Put the pieces of butter in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix briefly just to combine.
Turn the mixer on to low and add the partially frozen butter, a few pieces at a time while it mixes. Once all the butter has been added, turn the mixer to medium-low and mix until there are no pieces of butter larger than a kidney bean. (*Don't over mix! You want visible pieces of butter in there.)
With the mixer still running, add the cream, mixing on low to combine. Then add only enough ice water to bring the dough together. Be careful to not add too much water - you want only enough to hold the dough together. If you stop the mixer and squeeze some dough between your fingers and it holds together, you've added enough water. If it feels dry and crumbles apart easily, add a bit more water.
Dump the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and quickly shape it into a disk - work quickly so the heat from your hands doesn't melt the butter in the dough. Wrap the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. *The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Make the wine poached pears:

Pour one bottle of wine in a 3-quart saucepan and the other bottle of wine in another 3 quart saucepan. (*See note.) Add ½ cup of sugar and ¼ tsp of salt to each pan and stir to combine.
Remove the peel from the orange in long strips with a pairing knife and add the peel to the red wine.
Set both pans over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes while you prepare the pears.
Peel and core the pears. Slice each pear into quarters, then slice each quarter in half so that you have 8 slices per pear. Add 3 sliced pears to the pan of white wine and 3 sliced pears to the pan of red wine.
Adjust the heat under each pan to maintain a very gentle simmer. Let the pears simmer for 10 minutes, turning them in the wine every once in a while. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pears soak in liquid until it is completely cool.
Remove the pears from the wine, allowing them to drain on paper towels. Set the pan of white wine poaching liquid back over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced to about ½ cup. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool. (The white wine reduction will be used to glaze the tart, but you'll nave plenty left over. I suggest also reducing the red wine poaching liquid and storing both in the refrigerator to pour over ice cream stuffed profiteroles or other desserts. *See note.)

Make the Frangipane (almond cream):

Add the almonds and sugar to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Process until the almonds are roughly ground with no pieces larger than pea size. Add the remaining frangipane ingredients and process until the mixture is a homogenous paste. (*Can be made up to 1 week in advance; store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before spreading in the tart shell.)

Bake and Assemble the Pear Tart:

If you are NOT using a non-stick tart pan, spray the pan lightly with non-stick spray and dust lightly with flour. If you're using a non-stick pan, this is not necessary. If in doubt, it doesn't hurt to spray the pan with a bit of non-stick spray.
Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour and place the pastry dough, unwrapped, in the center. Sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour and roll the dough out to a disk that's about ¼-centimeter (4mm) thick. As you roll, rotate the dough, sliding a spatula underneath it, to keep it from sticking to your work surface.
Wrap the dough around your rolling pin to lift into the tart pan. Use your fingers to gently press the pastry into the pan, making sure to get it into the corners. Roll your rolling pin across the sides of the pan to cut off excess pastry. Go around the edges of the pan with your fingers to fully mold the pastry into the sides of the pan.
Cover the pasty with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 20 minutes. (*If you want a crispy bottom crust, see instructions in the notes below to partially pre-bake the tart shell.)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the pastry from the freezer and scatter golf ball sized pieces of frangipane all over the surface of the dough. Wet your fingers with water and press the frangipane across the bottom of the tart in an even layer.
Arrange the pear slices over the frangipane in whatever pattern you desire. (Pictures and instructions for arranging them in a herringbone stripe are above.)
Bake the tart for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the tart from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Carefully remove the side of the tart pan. Use a pastry brush or clean paint brush to coat the pears with a layer or two of white wine glaze and serve.

*This tart is best the day it's made, although all the individual components - pastry, frangipane, and poached pears can be made in advance.

Notes

To poach the pears, you'll need two different saucepans that should be at least 3 quarts or larger. If you only have one saucepan to work with, just make the pears in successive batches. This will increase the overall length of time it takes to make the pears, but not increase the hands-on time at all. Do not use aluminum pans because aluminum is highly reactive with acidic foods, like wine.
If you're making the poached pears in advance, store them in their cooking liquid in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Keep the pear poaching liquid! This stuff is liquid gold. After removing the pears from the poaching liquid, let it boil on the stovetop until reduced to about ½ cup. Store in the refrigerator and pour over ice cream, cake, or anything your heart desires. Soooooo good! My favorite way to eat it is drizzled over ice cream stuffed profiteroles.
For a crispy bottom crust, partially pre-bake the pastry shell: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and then fill the center with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 17 minutes. Remove the beans and foil, poke holes across the surface of the dough with a fork, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool completely before filling and baking the tart. Fill the tart with frangipane and pears as instructed then bake as follows: Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Keywords: pear tart, frangipane, poached pears, fruit tart, almond tart, holiday recipe, thanksgiving pie