Pear Apple Almond Tart

Pear Apple Almond Tart 

A favorite, and really easy to make because I use store-bought puff pastry (I like Trader Joe’s).

• ½ package frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions

• 2 medium apples, halved, and cored, peeled if you wish

• 2 medium pears, halved, and cored, peeled if you wish

• 1 egg, beaten 

• Demerara sugar, or sparkling sugar

Almond Cream (crème d’amande):

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 4 T (57g) unsalted butter, soft

• ½ c (50g) confectioners’ sugar

• ½ c (48g) almond flour

• 1 t vanilla bean paste, or extract

• Pinch salt

Line a sheet pan with parchment. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°F.

Make almond cream by whisking butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Add in sugar, then egg a bit at a time. Whisk to smooth. Add in the almond flour and vanilla and whisk. Set aside.

Unfold thawed pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Roll gently to enlarge the rectangle to half the size of the sheet pan. Place pastry onto the parchment lined pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

For apples and pears, place each half flat side down on a cutting board and slice thinly, about ⅛” thick. 

Spread almond cream over puff pastry. Arrange overlapping apple slices diagonally across the middle of the pastry, alternating with rows of pear slices. Continue this pattern of diagonal rows until the pastry is covered. Brush edges of dough with beaten egg and sprinkle fruit with sugar. Bake tart until pastry is a deep golden brown at the edges and the fruit begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Cut warm tart into squares using a pizza cutter or large knife. Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or crème fraîche.