French Normandy Pear and Calvados Tart with Almond Cream

Name: French Normandy Pear and Calvados Tart with Almond Cream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 sheet (14 oz / 397 g) (397 g) frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed just until pliable; 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 1 cup (100 g) finely ground almond flour; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; 1 large egg, room temperature; ½ teaspoon (2½ ml) pure almond extract; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt; 6 (1000 g (about 6 medium)) firm but ripe pears (Bosc or Bartlett), halved lengthwise, cored, peeled; 1½ cups (360 ml) water; ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar; ¼ cup (60 ml) Calvados (apple brandy); 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 3 tablespoons (60 g) apricot jam, warmed; 1 tablespoon (8 g) powdered sugar, for dusting

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A classic French tart featuring tender poached pears in Calvados, layered over buttery puff pastry and silky almond cream. The combination of apple brandy, pears, and almonds is quintessentially Normandy—elegant enough for company yet approachable for home cooks. The tart can be served warm or at room temperature with a dust of powdered sugar.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 55 min
Wait: 1 hr
Total: 2 hr 25 min
Makes: 1 tart (8 slices)

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Ingredients

8 servings

1 sheet (14 oz / 397 g) (397 g) frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed just until pliable
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (100 g) finely ground almond flour
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pure almond extract
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine sea salt
6 (1000 g (about 6 medium)) firm but ripe pears (Bosc or Bartlett), halved lengthwise, cored, peeled
1½ cups (360 ml) water
⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) Calvados (apple brandy)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons (60 g) apricot jam, warmed
1 tablespoon (8 g) powdered sugar, for dusting

Equipment (7)

9×13-inch (23×33 cm) rectangular tart pan or 10-inch (25 cm) round fluted tart pan with removable bottom
Large saucepan
Fork or whisk
Small bowl
Shallow 2–3 quart (2–3 L) baking dish or wide skillet
Parchment paper
Rolling pin

Steps

Before you start

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
Remove puff pastry from freezer 15–20 minutes before using so it's pliable but still cold
Have a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) rectangular tart pan or 10-inch (25 cm) round fluted tart pan ready
Halve and peel pears no more than 1 hour before poaching to prevent browning

1
Make almond cream filling
- In a small bowl, whisk together softened butter (6 tablespoons / 85 g), almond flour (1 cup / 100 g), granulated sugar (½ cup / 100 g), and fine sea salt (¼ teaspoon / 1.5 g) until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
- Add room-temperature egg (1) and pure almond extract (½ teaspoon / 2.5 ml) and whisk until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- The mixture should be smooth, pale, and spreadable.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: mixture is pale, smooth, and creamy
Tip: Room-temperature egg blends smoothly without lumps; cold egg can curdle the mixture.
2
Poach pears in Calvados syrup
- In a large saucepan, combine water (1½ cups / 360 ml), granulated sugar (⅓ cup / 65 g), Calvados (¼ cup / 60 ml), pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon / 5 ml), and fresh lemon juice (1 tablespoon / 15 ml).
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.
- Add peeled and halved pears (6 pears / 1000 g), arranging them cut-side down in the liquid.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes, until the pears are just tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.
- The liquid should be gently steaming, not rolling.
- Remove from heat and let pears cool in the poaching liquid for 15 minutes.
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Ready when: pears are just tender and hold their shape; liquid is lightly steaming
Tip: Overcooked pears fall apart; underdone ones will be mealy. Gentle heat and frequent checking prevent both.
3
Line tart pan with pastryOven 400°F / 205°C
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Remove the puff pastry sheet from the freezer and let it warm at room temperature for 15–20 minutes until pliable but still cold.
- Unfold the pastry and gently lay it over your 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) rectangular or 10-inch (25 cm) round fluted tart pan.
- Press it gently into the bottom and sides without stretching, allowing excess to overhang slightly.
- Prick the bottom all over with a fork to prevent puffing during baking.
- Trim excess pastry flush with the top edge of the pan.
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Ready when: pastry is fitted snugly without air pockets and pricked all over
Tip: Pricking releases steam and prevents the pastry from puffing excessively and pushing up the filling.
4
Spread almond cream on pastry
- Spread the almond cream filling evenly over the chilled pastry in the pan, covering the bottom and reaching almost to the edges, leaving about ¼ inch (6 mm) of border.
- Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to create an even layer.
- The filling should be about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick across the base.
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Ready when: almond cream is evenly spread across the pastry base
Tip: An even layer of almond cream ensures every slice has balanced texture and flavor.
5
Arrange poached pears on filling
- Lift the cooled pear halves from the poaching liquid with a slotted spoon, allowing excess liquid to drain back into the pan.
- Arrange the pear halves cut-side down on top of the almond cream, spacing them evenly.
- If making a rectangular tart, arrange them in 2 neat rows of 3 halves each.
- For a round tart, arrange them in a circular pattern.
- The pears should sit snugly on the filling but not be packed tightly.
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Ready when: pears are arranged evenly and rest firmly on the almond cream
Tip: Draining the pears prevents excess liquid from making the pastry soggy during baking.
6
Bake tart until goldenOven 400°F / 205°C
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet (for easier handling) and slide into the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry edges are golden brown and puffed, and the almond cream is set and golden underneath and around the pears.
- You may see the filling slightly puff around the fruit.
- The pastry should sound crisp when tapped at the edges.
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Ready when: pastry edges are deep golden brown, filling is set and golden, pastry is crisp
Tip: If pastry edges brown too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 5–10 minutes of baking.
7
Cool and apply glaze
- Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- While cooling, gently warm the apricot jam (3 tablespoons / 60 g) in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave (about 20 seconds) until it reaches a pourable consistency.
- Press the jam through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps, creating a smooth glaze.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the warm glaze over the pears and the golden pastry edges, avoiding the center of the almond cream to keep it from becoming too shiny.
- The glaze should be a thin, glossy layer.
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Ready when: jam is smooth and pourable; glaze is applied evenly across pears
Tip: Straining the jam removes lumps and creates a professional, smooth finish.
8
Final cooling and finish
- Allow the tart to cool in the pan for another 15 minutes until the pastry is no longer steaming and has firmed up.
- Carefully remove the tart from the pan by lifting the removable bottom and sliding it onto a serving plate, or using a wide metal spatula to support the tart as you remove the pan sides.
- Just before serving, dust lightly with powdered sugar (1 tablespoon / 8 g) using a fine-mesh sieve for an even, delicate coating.
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Ready when: pastry is firm enough to support the filling; tart is no longer steaming
Tip: Dusting with powdered sugar just before serving keeps it from dissolving into the warm tart.

Good to know

Tips

Choose firm but ripe pears (like Bosc or Bartlett) that yield slightly to pressure; overripe pears will collapse during poaching, while hard ones will remain mealy.
Puff pastry must be kept cold before baking to achieve maximum puffing and crispness; work quickly with cool hands to avoid warming the dough.
If poaching pears more than 4 hours ahead, store them in the refrigerator in their poaching liquid to maintain moisture and prevent browning.
The tart is best served warm or at room temperature the day it is made; reheating gently re-crisps the pastry and restores the almond cream's soft texture.

Make ahead

Almond cream can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Pears can be poached up to 8 hours ahead and kept in their poaching liquid, covered, in the refrigerator. The assembled tart (pastry, almond cream, and pears, but unbaked) can sit in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before baking; add 2–3 minutes to the bake time if baking from cold.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: Best eaten the same day or within 8 hours; wrap loosely with plastic wrap. The pastry will soften over time. Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 2 days; reheat gently in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–7 minutes to re-crisp the pastry before serving. Freezer: Freeze the unbaked assembled tart (before baking) for up to 1 month, tightly wrapped; bake directly from frozen, adding 5–7 minutes to bake time.

Substitutions

Calvados (apple brandy) → cognac or other brandy, or substitute ¼ cup (60 ml) apple juice or apple cider with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of brandy or rum. Calvados is traditional and contributes signature apple brandy flavor, but other spirits or apple juice provide similar texture and a slightly different flavor profile.
finely ground almond flour → finely ground blanched almonds (pulse raw almonds in a food processor until flour-like). Homemade almond flour provides fresher flavor but may require slight adjustment to liquid if the texture is drier.
frozen all-butter puff pastry → homemade puff pastry or all-butter croissant dough. Homemade pastry will yield a slightly more luxurious, flaky result but requires advance preparation (24+ hours chilling).
apricot jam → apple jelly or a light honey glaze (1 tablespoon / 15 ml honey mixed with 1 tablespoon / 15 ml water), warmed and strained. Alternative glazes add subtle flavor variation while maintaining the glossy finish.