When a Parisian street names a dessert: the origin (and the recipe) of the Bourdaloue pie

Brief history of the Bourdaloue pie 

The Bourdaloue street is located in Paris in the 9th district. It is named after a Jesuit, Father Bourdaloue, famous for his preaching. But this is not our subject. It is at 7 rue Bourdaloue that was installed, in 185, the House "Desserteur" whose pastry cook was named Nicolas Bourguoin. It is him who invented the "entremet Bourdaloue", a kind of cake with crushed almonds (and perfumed with kirsh), which would have been modified many times to lead to this pie which is known in all France...

Tarte Bourdaloue Photo par Elena Zajchikova/Shutterstock

The recipe of the Bourdaloue Tart

For 8 people

The ingredients 

For the sweet pastry: 

• 250 grams of flour
• 120 grams of icing sugar
• 125 grams of softened butter
• 35 grams of almond powder
• 1 egg

Ingredients for the filling 

• 2 eggs 
• 70 grams of butter 
• 90 grams of powdered sugar
• 130 grams of almond powder
• 1 box of pears in syrup (2 per person).
• 1 cap of rum (or kirsh).

Good pears / Image by Color from Pixabay 

The process

For the dough

1. Start by preparing your butter to make a "creamy" butter. At room temperature, you work it with a spatula until it becomes a sort of somewhat smooth paste. You can put it in the microwave to soften it before working it. 
2. Take the butter and add the whole egg. Mix it together. 
3. Add the flour and almond powder and mix. You should get a smooth ball.
4. Put this dough ball in the refrigerator (as long as possible, half a day is good). 
5. Take the dough out of the fridge half an hour before preparing the pie. 
6. Roll out the dough (about 3 to 4 mm thick).
7. Prick the bottom with a fork 
8. And put your pie tin back in the fridge (the dough will hold better when you eat the pie). 
9. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the pastry for 10 minutes. 

The almond cream 

1. Mix the 70 grams of butter that you have prepared in a creamy way. By hand is better
2. Add the 2 eggs and mix again. 
3. And hop! Add a capful of rum (or kirsh).
4. Incorporate the almond cream.
5. Add 3/4 of your mixture 
6. Arrange the pears in slices 
7. Place the remaining 1/4 of the filling mixture 
8. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
9. Bake your pie for a good 30 minutes (it's better if you turn the heat on). 

Tip 

You can add small chocolate chips when you take the pie out of the oven and serve it to your guests.