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.
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.

