Air Fryer Recipe
Pear and Almond Tartlets
These pear and almond tartlets make a lovely little dessert, pairing sweet pears with a nutty almond filling and crisp pastry from the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry
- 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
- 50g ground almonds
- 50g unsalted butter, softened
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Flaked almonds, for garnish
- Honey or apricot jam, for glazing
Method
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale, light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg and vanilla extract, then mix until fully combined. Fold in the ground almonds to make a smooth paste.
- Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut it into circles slightly larger than your air fryer’s baking tray. Prick the pastry circles all over with a fork.
- Spoon some of the almond filling onto each pastry circle, leaving a small border around the edge. Lay the pear slices over the filling, then scatter with flaked almonds.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Place the tartlets in the air fryer basket and cook in batches for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
- Brush the tartlets with warmed honey or apricot jam to give them a glossy finish. Leave them to cool slightly before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Fast air-fryer convection drives moisture off the puff pastry surface so its butter layers separate and crisp before the pear juices soak through. Docking limits excessive lift, while the almond paste adds fat and absorbs some fruit moisture, protecting the base and giving a soft frangipane-style centre.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket taking 2 small tartlets without overlap; use parchment cut smaller than the basket so airflow is not blocked. In a single-drawer fryer, cook in batches on the centre of the crisper plate; in dual-zone models, use one zone only or swap drawers halfway if both zones are loaded, as the outer edges brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Pale, leathery pastry after 12 minutes means steam is trapped or the tartlets are too close together; cook fewer at once and extend 2–4 minutes until the edges lift and flake.
- Soggy centre under the pears means the slices were too thick or the pears were over-ripe; slice 2–3mm thick, pat dry, and use less filling so the base can dry before the fruit releases juice.
- Almond filling leaking over the border indicates it was spread too close to the edge or became too warm; leave a clear 1cm rim and chill the assembled tartlets for 10 minutes before air frying.
- Flaked almonds scorching while the pastry is still pale means the top heat is too aggressive; lower to 170°C and add 3–5 minutes, or add the flaked almonds halfway through cooking.
Variations & substitutions
- Use apples instead of pears, sliced very thinly; they release less juice but need the same timing, with a slightly firmer bite.
- Swap apricot jam for redcurrant jelly for a sharper glaze; warm it well so it brushes on thinly without softening the pastry.
- Add a little lemon zest to the almond filling; it does not change timing but cuts through the butteriness and sweetness.
- Use all-butter puff pastry if available; it browns more deeply and may need checking 2 minutes earlier because the butter layers colour quickly in the air fryer.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled tartlets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 3–5 minutes to refresh the pastry.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
