Instructions

1. Roll your pie dough to 1/8-inch thickness and 10 inches wide, adding more flour to the rolling pin or surface as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
2. Gently transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan. Using lightly floured fingertips, press dough into the bottom edge and fluted sides of the pan; using a pastry brush, dust off any excess flour.
3. Using a sharp paring knife, trim away excess dough from the edges so that the dough is level with the top of the pan. Using a fork, prick tart dough all over.
4. Freeze tart shell for 30 minutes.
5. To Bake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Place a crumpled sheet of baking parchment inside the frozen shell and fill to the brim with dried beans, sugar, raw rice, or baking weights.
6. Bake crust until edges are firm and lightly golden brown, 23 to 27 minutes. (The bottom will still look “doughy” and light in color.) Remove tart crust from the oven and carefully remove parchment and weights. Return the crust to the oven and bake until golden brown around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow the tart to cool completely, 45 minutes to 1 hour, before filling for the rest of the recipe.
7. Make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on low speed to roughly incorporate. Increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes, pausing to scrape down bowl and beater with a flexible spatula as needed. Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, egg, brandy (if using), almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on medium-high speed until smooth, thick, and creamy, pausing to scrape down the bowl and beater halfway through, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, scrape bowl and beater to ensure that no streaks of unmixed butter remain.
8. Scrape almond filling into the tart shell and, using an offset spatula, spread it evenly from edge to edge to cover the bottom of the tart. Set aside.
9. Using a sharp knife, slice each pear quarter lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick slices, stopping 1/4 inch before the stem ends to keep slices attached. Repeat with remaining pears. Using your hands or an offset spatula, gently lift sliced pears and set them on top of the almond filling, flattening and fanning them out. Repeat with remaining pears.
10. Bake until filling is a light golden brown and just firm to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes. (If the tart shell begins to darken too quickly, tent the tart with foil and continue to bake.)
11. Remove from the oven and, using a pastry brush, brush sliced pears with honey, if using. Let cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.
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