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Almond Pain de Gênes Pear Sundial Tart

1 hr 15 min · Medium · Serves 8-10

French recipes

Pear TartFrom our menuPear Tart€22.95 · Made by us, delivered chilled.

This elegant French dessert replaces traditional pastry crust with a moist almond cake base, topped with pear quarters arranged in a striking sundial pattern and garnished with slivered almonds. The key technique is beating the almond paste and eggs for 5-8 minutes to create the only leavening for this dense, flavorful base.

What Makes This Different from Regular Fruit Tarts?

Traditional French technique uses Pain de Gênes—a dense almond biscuit—instead of pastry crust. This gives you more fruit flavor and less heavy dough, while the almond base stays moist and sturdy.

The pears are quartered and detailed into points, then arranged in a sundial pattern. Slivered almonds are sprinkled between the fruit pieces for added crunch and visual contrast.

The traditional almond cream (crème d'amande) used as a 'glue' follows the classic Bourdaloue ratio of butter, sugar, almond flour, and egg.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Estimated from ingredient weights, not lab-tested.

Calories
458
Protein
9g
Fat
26g
Carbohydrates
50g

Ingredients

Recipe yields 8-10 servings

For the Almond Biscuit Base

250 g Almond paste (50% almond content)
room temperature for easier blending
150 g Whole eggs
80 g Unsalted butter
melted and cooled
50 g All-purpose flour
sifted
10 g Cornstarch
adds a delicate crumb

For the Topping & Almond Cream

350 g Canned or jarred pear halves in syrup
drained and patted very dry
80 g Almond flour
extra fine
60 g Granulated sugar
60 g Unsalted butter
softened
100 g Whole egg
to bind
20 g Slivered almonds
for garnish

For the Glaze

50 g Apricot jam or neutral glaze
for the final shine

Instructions

Make the Almond Biscuit Base

  1. 1

    Beat the Almond Paste and Eggs

    Beat the room-temperature almond paste and eggs together for 5-8 minutes until the mixture is pale and significantly increased in volume.

  2. 2

    Fold in the Dry Ingredients

    Gently fold in the sifted flour and cornstarch using a spatula.

  3. 3

    Add the Melted Butter

    Stream the melted and cooled butter around the edges of the bowl and fold until just combined.

  4. 4

    Par-Bake the Base

    Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch tart pan and bake at 340°F / 170°C for 15-20 minutes until the top is set.

Create the Sundial Pattern

  1. 5

    Prepare the Pears

    Quarter the pear halves and detail the tops into points using a paring knife.

  2. 6

    Make the Traditional Almond Cream

    Cream the softened butter with sugar, then whisk in the almond flour and whole egg. Spread a thin layer over the par-baked biscuit.

  3. 7

    Arrange the Sundial Pattern

    Arrange the pear quarters in a radial sundial pattern and sprinkle slivered almonds in the gaps between the fruit.

Final Bake and Glaze

  1. 8

    Finish Baking

    Return the tart to the oven for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown and almonds are toasted.

  2. 9

    Apply the Glaze

    Brush the warm tart with melted apricot jam for a professional sheen.

Tips & Tricks

your almond paste is too hard to blend smoothly:

Microwave it for 10 seconds to soften it before adding the eggs. This prevents lumps in your batter.

your almond biscuit turns out soggy:

Pat the canned pears thoroughly dry with paper towels. Excess syrup releases during baking and soaks into the base.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use Pain de Gênes instead of a regular cake base?

Pain de Gênes is a classical French almond biscuit specifically designed to showcase almonds. Unlike a light sponge cake, it has a dense, moist, almost marzipan-like texture that provides the structural integrity needed to hold the juicy pears without a pastry shell.

Can I use pears in juice instead of syrup?

Yes, but pears in syrup generally have a firmer texture that holds up better during slicing and baking. Drain and dry them extra thoroughly.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Partial make-ahead works best. You can bake the almond biscuit base up to 1 day ahead and store it covered. Arrange the pears and almonds for the final bake on the day of serving.

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