For 7 tartlets of 7 cm (or one 20 cm tart)
The classic French Tartelettes Bourdaloue: a tender shortcrust base filled with moist almond cream with a hint of rum, topped with a finely fanned pear half and framed by toasted flaked almonds. Finished with a dusting of powdered sugar – a classic of French pâtisserie, served in Baja California.
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
- 175 g flour
- 90 g cold butter
- 1 egg yolk (20 g)
- 20 g milk
- 20 g sugar
- 3 g salt
Almond cream
- 65 g soft butter
- 35 g sugar
- 1 egg (50 g)
- 65 g ground almonds
- 5 g flour
- 5 g rum
- 1 pinch of vanilla
Topping
- 4 pears, juicy, ripe but firm
- 50 g flaked almonds
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Method
- Dough: Rub the cold butter into the flour until it forms fine crumbs. Whisk the egg yolk with the milk, add it with the sugar and salt and quickly knead into a dough. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
- Line the rings: Grease the tartlet rings. Roll the dough out 3–4 mm thick, cut out circles, line the rings and trim the edges neatly. Chill until filling.
- Pears: Preheat the oven to 170 °C (top and bottom heat). Peel and halve the pears and remove the cores. Slice each half crosswise into thin, even slices, keeping them together.
- Almond cream: Beat the soft butter until creamy, stir in the sugar and vanilla, then the egg. Fold in the ground almonds and flour, and finally the rum.
- Filling: Spread the almond cream into the pastry shells. Place a fanned pear half on each and press lightly. Sprinkle flaked almonds around the edge.
- Baking: Bake on the second rack from the bottom for about 45 minutes until golden brown.
- To finish: Let cool completely, then carefully remove from the rings and dust with powdered sugar.
Tip: The pears should be juicy but neither rock-hard nor overripe – that way they soften while baking yet keep a little bite and their lovely shape.