Pear Tarte Tatin
Guest User
This twist on the classic apple tarte tatin accentuates the pear's natural syrup by enveloping it in rich caramel. Frozen puff pastry means you can devote all of your concentration to getting the caramelized pears just right. Serve warm, or let sit for a few hours so the flavors can find their way into the pastry.
Serves 8
Ingredients
4 (2 1/2 pounds) Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored
1 Cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 Tablespoons light corn or brown rice syrup
1 sheet puff pastry
1. Set oven to 375-degrees. Sprinkle sugar evenly over bottom of heavy 9-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides. Scatter butter cubes over sugar, then drizzle with corn rice syrup. Arrange pear halves in the sugar in an attractive circle, round bottoms at the edge, pointed tips at the center, and the hollow core side up with the rounded bottoms down on the sugar. Place pan in oven and bake for about 2 hours and 45 minutes, until they become candied orbs. Don't turn them or touch them, just leave them in the oven.
2. Cut a 9-inch circle from the puff pastry and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the same oven (at 375-degrees) for about 15 minutes, until the pastry disk is golden brown and puffed up like a pillow. Remove and let cool.
3. When the pears are cooked, the sugar has started to become caramel, and the juices from the pears have become part of the sugary caramel, remove the pan from the oven and place directly onto the stovetop burner. If the pears have lost too much liquid, pour a little warm liquid (apple cider or pear juice, if you have them, or just water) to help the caramel along. Over low heat, cook the syrup just a few minutes until big soapy bubbles form and the syrup becomes a true amber caramel. Remove from heat immediately.
4. Place the puff pastry pillow directly on top of the pears, domed-side down. It should fit snugly within the diameter of the cake pan. Place a clean sheet pan lined with parchement over the tatin and very carefully - but swiftly! - invert. Tap the pan to be sure all of the pears have dropped down, then carefully remove the cake pan.
Based on a recipe from Prune, by Gabrielle Hamilton.
2. Cut a 9-inch circle from the puff pastry and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the same oven (at 375-degrees) for about 15 minutes, until the pastry disk is golden brown and puffed up like a pillow. Remove and let cool.
3. When the pears are cooked, the sugar has started to become caramel, and the juices from the pears have become part of the sugary caramel, remove the pan from the oven and place directly onto the stovetop burner. If the pears have lost too much liquid, pour a little warm liquid (apple cider or pear juice, if you have them, or just water) to help the caramel along. Over low heat, cook the syrup just a few minutes until big soapy bubbles form and the syrup becomes a true amber caramel. Remove from heat immediately.
4. Place the puff pastry pillow directly on top of the pears, domed-side down. It should fit snugly within the diameter of the cake pan. Place a clean sheet pan lined with parchement over the tatin and very carefully - but swiftly! - invert. Tap the pan to be sure all of the pears have dropped down, then carefully remove the cake pan.
Based on a recipe from Prune, by Gabrielle Hamilton.