Almond shortcrust pastry is very easy to make, keeps well and is suitable for biscuits or tart bases.

Almond Shortcrust Pastry
I found this recipe on the French website Meilleur du Chef (https://www.meilleurduchef.com/fr/recette/pate-sablee-amande.html) and since then, I have not looked for any other options. Here is my translation from French. Try making this dough and baking a fruit or berry pie from it.
Ingredients
- 120 g softened butter
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 30 g almond flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp liquid vanilla (1 packet of vanilla sugar or 1 vanilla pod)
- 1 egg (beat a little with a fork)
- 200 g flour
Instructions
- Place butter, powdered sugar, almond flour, salt, vanilla, egg and flour in a mixer bowl.
- Using a paddle attachment (sheet), mix the ingredients at low speed until smooth. Be careful: do not mix the dough for too long.
- Form the dough into a ball.
- For convenience, flatten a little, wrap in cling film and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. After an hour (or even better the next day), you can start making the pie.
- This dough keeps well frozen, so I always make a double batch, dividing it into 2 parts: I cook one part right away, and the other one stays in the freezer until the right time.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
French Pear pie (Tarte Bourdaloue)
The tarte Bourdaloue is a pie with pears and almonds; created by a Parisian pastry chef in the nineteenth century. This dessert is a variation of the amandine (almond tart).

French Pear pie (Tarte Bourdaloue)
Almond cream, pears and some almonds: a dessert for real gourmets.
Ingredients
Almond sweet short pastry
- 120 g softened butter
- 75 g confectioners sugar
- 30 g almond powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 egg (beat a little with a fork)
- 1 teaspoon liquid vanilla (1 packet of vanilla sugar or 1 vanilla bean)
- 200 g sifted flour
Almond cream
- 100 g softened butter
- 100 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 100 g almond powder
- 2 teaspoons sour cream
- 3 pears
More
- 15 g butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon sledding almonds
Instructions
Almond sweet short pastry
- Sift flour and powdered sugar into a bowl or on the kitchen table. Add almond powder and the softened butter. Mix with your hands until you get a crumbly mixture.
- Add egg and liquid vanilla.
- Mix everything very quickly to form a ball. The dough is now ready.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or freeze if you won't bake it in the next few days.
Almond cream
- Beat butter and sugar with a mixer. Add eggs, cream and almond powder.
Preparing the pie
- Preheat the oven to 370F. Roll out the dough between 2 layers of parchment paper.
- Transfer the dough to a pan, press it down and on the sides of the pan. Cut the excess dough. Poke holes on the entire surface with a fork.
- Spread the almond cream evenly over the dough.
- Peel the pears and cut them in half. Remove the seeds. Cut into regular thin slices.
- Arrange the pear slices nicely. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with almonds.
- Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown. Remove pie from oven and cool. You can sprinkle lightly with icing sugar before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!