French · Dessert
Pear Tarte Tatin
An elegant variation of the classic French upside-down tart featuring caramelized pears with warm spices and brandy. This sophisticated dessert showcases the natural sweetness of pears enhanced with cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise.
The Method
Instructions
First things first, you want to core the pears. Be gentle and try to peel them as neatly as you can , the better the peel job, the prettier your final tarte will look. Then, cut each pear in half. If you're not getting started right away, no worries at all; you can prep the pears up to a day in advance. Just pop them in the fridge uncovered so they have a chance to dry out a bit, which actually helps with the texture when cooking.
Now, grab a nice ovenproof frying pan that's about 20cm wide , something sturdy and suitable for the oven. Tip in the caster sugar, butter, star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon. Place the pan over a high heat and watch closely. You'll want to wait until the mixture starts to bubble vigorously. Give the pan a little shake and stir the buttery sauce gently with a wooden spoon or spatula. What you're aiming for here is for the sugar to melt and caramelise into a gorgeous toffee colour, with the butter separating slightly to create a rich sauce. This smells amazing, by the way.
Once your sauce is bubbling and beautifully caramelised, lay the pear halves in the pan. Let them gently cook in that sauce for about 10 to 12 minutes. Don't be shy about tossing them occasionally so they get evenly coated and caramelised on every side. You might worry about burning them, but really, these pears are quite forgiving and it's fine if they get a little extra colour , it just means more flavour. When they're looking golden and luscious, splash in the brandy. Get ready for a little show here as the alcohol flambés, burning off the harshness and leaving just that lovely depth of flavour. Once the flames subside, set the pears aside for a moment.
While the pears cool slightly, preheat your oven to 200C (or fan 180C , gas mark 6 ). Roll out your puff pastry to about the thickness of a £1 coin. You want it thin enough to cook through nicely but still hold up under the juicy pears. Using a plate that's a bit larger than your pan's top, cut out a neat circle from the pastry. To make the edges more delicate, press them gently to thin them out a little , this gives a nicer finish when you fold it over.
When the pears aren't piping hot anymore but still warm, arrange them back in the pan. Place them cut side up, forming a pretty floral pattern. Start by placing the pear halves around the outside edge, pointing them in towards the centre , it looks so elegant and inviting. Then, nestle a cinnamon stick right in the centre, and scatter a few cardamom pods around for that extra aromatic kick.
Now comes the fun part: drape your pastry gently over the pears. Take the edges of the pastry and tuck them down the sides of the pan, pushing them under the fruit to create a snug, neat edge , if you want, you can check Gordon's guide for a great demonstration of this technique. Once the pastry is all set, poke a few small holes in it with a fork , this helps steam escape during baking.
Pop the pan in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye out for any juice that bubbles up at the sides of the pan , if there's a lot, carefully pour it off at this stage to avoid soggy pastry (Gordon's guide has a handy tip on this too). Then, turn the oven down to 180C ( fan 160C , gas mark 4 ) and bake for another 15 minutes or until the pastry has turned a gorgeous golden brown.
Once it's out of the oven, let your tarte rest and cool for about 10 minutes. This little pause helps the caramel sauce thicken up a bit, making it easier to flip the tarte out. When you're ready, carefully invert the tarte onto a serving plate. The pears should come out glossy and perfectly caramelised on top with that buttery, spiced pastry underneath. Serve it warm, maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of cream, and enjoy every bite of this lovely French classic.
Now, grab a nice ovenproof frying pan that's about 20cm wide , something sturdy and suitable for the oven. Tip in the caster sugar, butter, star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon. Place the pan over a high heat and watch closely. You'll want to wait until the mixture starts to bubble vigorously. Give the pan a little shake and stir the buttery sauce gently with a wooden spoon or spatula. What you're aiming for here is for the sugar to melt and caramelise into a gorgeous toffee colour, with the butter separating slightly to create a rich sauce. This smells amazing, by the way.
Once your sauce is bubbling and beautifully caramelised, lay the pear halves in the pan. Let them gently cook in that sauce for about 10 to 12 minutes. Don't be shy about tossing them occasionally so they get evenly coated and caramelised on every side. You might worry about burning them, but really, these pears are quite forgiving and it's fine if they get a little extra colour , it just means more flavour. When they're looking golden and luscious, splash in the brandy. Get ready for a little show here as the alcohol flambés, burning off the harshness and leaving just that lovely depth of flavour. Once the flames subside, set the pears aside for a moment.
While the pears cool slightly, preheat your oven to 200C (or fan 180C , gas mark 6 ). Roll out your puff pastry to about the thickness of a £1 coin. You want it thin enough to cook through nicely but still hold up under the juicy pears. Using a plate that's a bit larger than your pan's top, cut out a neat circle from the pastry. To make the edges more delicate, press them gently to thin them out a little , this gives a nicer finish when you fold it over.
When the pears aren't piping hot anymore but still warm, arrange them back in the pan. Place them cut side up, forming a pretty floral pattern. Start by placing the pear halves around the outside edge, pointing them in towards the centre , it looks so elegant and inviting. Then, nestle a cinnamon stick right in the centre, and scatter a few cardamom pods around for that extra aromatic kick.
Now comes the fun part: drape your pastry gently over the pears. Take the edges of the pastry and tuck them down the sides of the pan, pushing them under the fruit to create a snug, neat edge , if you want, you can check Gordon's guide for a great demonstration of this technique. Once the pastry is all set, poke a few small holes in it with a fork , this helps steam escape during baking.
Pop the pan in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye out for any juice that bubbles up at the sides of the pan , if there's a lot, carefully pour it off at this stage to avoid soggy pastry (Gordon's guide has a handy tip on this too). Then, turn the oven down to 180C ( fan 160C , gas mark 4 ) and bake for another 15 minutes or until the pastry has turned a gorgeous golden brown.
Once it's out of the oven, let your tarte rest and cool for about 10 minutes. This little pause helps the caramel sauce thicken up a bit, making it easier to flip the tarte out. When you're ready, carefully invert the tarte onto a serving plate. The pears should come out glossy and perfectly caramelised on top with that buttery, spiced pastry underneath. Serve it warm, maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of cream, and enjoy every bite of this lovely French classic.
Pairs Well With
