Pear Tarte Tatin

 

This is a delicious alternative to apple pie using pears. I had to use a rounded cast iron pan and after baking, mine was watery. I reduced the leftover juice on the stove after baking and drizzled it back onto the tart. I want to try this again, next time with 8 pears and with a flat case iron pan. Need to remember to leave time to thaw the puff pastry!

Pear Tarte Tatin (~WSJ, By Aleksandra Crapanzano)

Subtly spiced with cardamom and ginger, this simple dessert elevates the usual lineup of holiday pies. For a flavor variation, replace the cardamom and ginger with 1 teaspoon chai spice.

TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

SERVES: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 package (14-17 ounces) frozen all-butter puff pastry, such as Dufour brand, thawed 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for dusting

8 pears, such as Bartlett, Bosc or Anjou (used 6 pears)

1⁄2 cup unsalted butter

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

1⁄2 cup muscovado or light brown sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground green cardamom

1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger

Crème fraiche, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set thawed puff pastry on a floured surface.

2.      Peel, halve and core pears. Slice each half into 3 slices.

3.      In a heavy, ovenproof 9-inch skillet or tarte Tatin dish over medium-high heat, melt butter. Stir in sugars and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium. Add cardamom and ginger, and cook, stirring, until mixture has a loose syrup consistency. Remove from heat.

4.      Taking care not to burn your hands, arrange pear slices in pan, slightly overlapping, in concentric circles. (You may not need all the pears.) Return skillet to medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.

5.      Roll pastry dough into a 10-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick. Remove skillet from heat. (was not able to roll mine into a circle so was more like a square)

6.      Blanket pears with pastry round. Use the back of a spoon to gently tuck outer edge of pastry between pears and skillet. (It will form the sides of the tart once you flip it.) Use a sharp knife to poke 6 small slits in pastry.

7.      Place skillet on a baking sheet, as juices may

8.      run over during baking. Bake until pastry is golden-brown, about 25 minutes. (baked for 25 min)

9.      Set aside to cool for five minutes. Run a butter knife around edges of tart to loosen any bits stuck to the side. To flip the tart, place a sturdy plate at least 10 inches in diameter over the skillet. Use a potholder to grip the handle of the skillet in one hand and place your other hand flat on the back of the plate. Flip the tart. Tap the skillet to encourage any stuck bits to dislodge. Don't worry if some pears stick to the skillet. Remove with a spatula and rearrange on the tart. Serve warm with dollops of cool crème fraiche. (inverted on a glass pie dish since mine had a lot of liquid after baking. I cooked the liquid on the stove to reduce it and then drizzled it back on the tart).