Pear Tarte Tatin

Name: Pear Tarte Tatin
Prep time: 33 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 13 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 8 pears; 3 ½ oz superfine sugar; 3 ½ oz butter; 2 star anises; 3 cardamoms; 1 cinnamon; 2 tbsp brandy; 1.1 lb puff pastry

A weekend France dessert. Ready in about 1 hour 13 minutes. Difficulty: more effort.

33 minPrep (about)
40 minCook (about)
1 hr 13 minTotal time
4Servings
More effortDifficulty

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Ingredients

How many people?

− 3 people +

Changed from 4 to 3 people · Back to 4

6 pears
2 ⅔ oz superfine sugar Shopping tip: Superfine sugar (UK: caster). Regular sugar works.
2 ⅔ oz butter
1 ½ tbsp brandy
13 oz puff pastry

Spices & seasonings (3): star anises, cardamoms, cinnamon

2 star anises
2 cardamoms
1 cinnamon

How to make it

Steps in our own plain words.

Core the pears.
Peel as neatly as possible and halve.
If you like, they be prepared up to day ahead plus kept in your fridge, uncovered, so that they dry out.
Tip the cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, butter and sugar in an ovenproof frying pan, about 8 inches wide.
Place over a high heat until bubbling.
Shake the pan.
Mix the buttery sauce till it separates plus the sugar caramelises to a toffee colour.
Lay the pears in the pan.
Heat in the sauce for 10-12 mins, until completely caramelised.
Toss every so often.
Don’t worry around them burning – they won’ – but you want.
Do it to caramelise them as much as possible.
Splash in the brandy.
Let it flambé.
Set the pears aside.
Turn the oven on to 400°F (350°F for a fan oven).
Roll your pastry out to your thickness of a £1 coin.
Cut out a circle using a plate a bit larger than the top of the pan.
Press your edges of your circle of pastry to thin them out.
Wait until the pears have cooled slightly.
Arrange them in the pan.
Cut side up, in a floral shape, using the pears around the edge pointing inwards.
Rest your cinnamon stick on the top in your centre, with the cardamom pods scattered around.
Drape the pastry over the pears.
Tuck your edges down your pan sides and under the fruit.
Pierce the pastry a few times.
Bake for 15 mins.
If a lot of juice bubbles up your side of your pan, pour it off at this stage.
Reduce oven.
Do it to 350°F (325°F for a fan oven).
Cook in the oven for 15 mins more till the pastry is golden.
Leave your tart to stand for 10 mins.
Invert it onto a serving dish.