This wonderfully crisp and fragrant tart is a true celebration of the season in dessert form – you'll struggle to beat it for fall hosting

This rustic yet elegant pear tart involves poaching the fruit gently in honey, lemon, and bay until tender and translucent. Paired with flaky rough-puff pastry and almond frangipane, this dessert is a true showstopper.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• For the Poached Pears
  • ½ cup runny honey
  • Zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise (seeds reserved for frangipane)
  • 4 firm pears (such as Bosc or Anjou)
  • About 2 cups water (plus extra boiling water if needed)
• For the Pastry
  • 1 ½ sticks (¾ cup / 170 g) unsalted butter, cubed and frozen until hard
  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
  • Large pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp honey
  • ½ cup (120 ml) cold water (plus 1–2 tsp extra, if needed)
• For the Frangipane
  • 14 Tbsp (200 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • Seeds from reserved ½ vanilla bean
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (200 g) almond flour (finely ground almonds)
• For Finishing
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten (for glaze)
  • Turbinado (demerara) sugar, for sprinkling
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

The Homes & Gardens Method

• Poach the Pears
  • In a saucepan just large enough to fit the pears in one layer, combine honey, lemon zest and juice, bay leaves, vanilla pod (not seeds), and about 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  • Peel the pears, rolling them in a little lemon juice to prevent browning. Add them to the pan, adding extra boiling water if they’re not fully submerged.
  • Simmer gently for 35–45 minutes, until the pears are soft and slightly translucent (timing depends on ripeness).
  • Let the pears cool in the syrup, then store them in the liquid until ready to use.
• Make the Pastry
  • In a food processor (our testers rated the Magimix 14-cup food processor from Amazon the best food processor overall in our guide) pulse butter, flour, and salt until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  • Add honey and cold water, pulsing until a dough just comes together (add 1–2 tsp extra water if too dry).
  • Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until firm enough to roll.
• Make the Frangipane
  • In a mixing bowl (you can't beat a classic Mason Cash bowl from Amazon for a rustic recipe like this), cream the softened butter and sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
  • Add the reserved vanilla seeds and eggs; mix until combined.
  • Stir in ground almonds until smooth. Chill until needed.
• Assemble the Tart
  • Roll out the pastry on a floured surface into a rough rectangle, about ⅛ inch thick. A marble rolling pin from Amazon is ideal for keeping pastry cool for the flakiest results.
  • Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet (these Good Cook everyday non-stick baking sheets from Amazon are ideal). Spread frangipane over the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border.
  • Remove pears from syrup, halve, core, and slice. Arrange slices on top of frangipane.
  • Fold pastry edges over the filling, letting it overlap naturally. Chill the tart for at least 30 minutes.
• Bake
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F if convection).
  • Brush pastry edges with beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
  • Bake 40–45 minutes, until pastry is crisp and golden (cover with foil if browning too quickly).
  • Cool at least 15 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.

Looking for more fabulous fruit tart recipes? Try this fig and ricotta tart which has a delicious amaretti crust and looks wonderful on the table.