Pear Frangipane Tart with Rosewater Rosette
This tart pairs a crisp butter pastry crust with sweet almond frangipane filling. Thinly sliced roasted pears are arranged in a rosette pattern across the top, finished with a light glaze of wild alpine strawberries and rosewater. It can be served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Pear Frangipane Tart with Rosewater Rosette
This tart pairs a crisp butter pastry crust with sweet almond frangipane filling. Thinly sliced roasted pears are arranged in a rosette pattern across the top, finished with a light glaze of wild alpine strawberries and rosewater. It can be served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Ingredients
(Tap items to cross off as you bake)- 150 g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 30 g (1/4 cup) powdered sugar
- 1.5 g (1/4 tsp) fine salt
- 115 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 large egg yolk (18 g)
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) ice water
- 100 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 100 g (1 cup) almond flour
- 1 large egg (50 g), room temperature
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) almond extract
- 500 g (3 medium) firm Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and sliced 2 mm thin
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
- 50 g (1/4 cup) wild alpine strawberries, crushed
- 25 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 5 ml (1 tsp) damask rosewater
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1Combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a bowl, then cut in the cold cubed butter with a pastry cutter for 2 to 3 minutes until pea-sized crumbs form.
- 2Stir in the egg yolk and ice water for 30 seconds until a cohesive dough forms, press into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 60 minutes.
- 3Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C), roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to 3 mm thickness, and press into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, trimming the top flush with the rim.
- 4Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with a hand mixer for 2 minutes until pale and creamy.
- 5Add the room-temperature egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beating for 1 minute until emulsified, then fold in the almond flour with a spatula until evenly combined.
- 6Spread the almond frangipane evenly across the raw pastry base using an offset spatula until smooth.
- 7Toss the pear slices in lemon juice and arrange them upright in tightly overlapping concentric circles from the outer crust inward to form a rosette, taking approximately 10 minutes.
- 8Bake the tart at 375°F (190°C) for 35 to 40 minutes until the frangipane puffs, turns golden brown, and the pear edges caramelize slightly.
- 9While baking, simmer the crushed wild alpine strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 4 minutes until syrupy, remove from heat, and stir in the rosewater.
- 10Brush the warm strawberry rosewater glaze evenly over the pears and let the tart cool in the pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes until set before slicing into 8 servings.
Storage & Keeping Fresh:
Store leftover tart in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature 20 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the pastry dough be prepared ahead of time?
The dough disc can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before rolling out.
Which pear varieties hold their shape best in this tart?
Firm varieties such as Bosc or Anjou hold their shape during baking without releasing excess moisture into the frangipane.
Can standard strawberries replace wild alpine strawberries?
Standard cultivated strawberries can be finely diced and used in the same quantity to prepare the glaze.