Pear Tarte Tatin

While we're on the subject of dessert, here's another recipe for a classic with a twist.  For those of you not familiar with Tarte Tatin, it is a caramelized tart, usually made with apples.  To mix things up, I make it with pears.  The flavors are very pure, and the combination of the caramel, fruit, and crust is luscious.  It would make an excellent addition to any Thanksgiving spread.

 
The technique for making tarte tatin is different from most tarts.  You start by caramelizing the fruit in a skillet on the stove top, then cover the fruit with dough and finish cooking it in the oven.  When the tart has cooked, you flip it over to serve it so that the crust ends up on the bottom. 

The trick is to cook the sugar at a high enough heat that it caramelizes but not so hot that it burns.  I admit that I do not make this tart perfectly.  The caramel on that top picture should be a bit darker.  But this is one of those cases where perfection should not stand in the way of the good, the very good, actually.  I've made the caramel too dark and I've made it too light.  If the sugar gets very dark, you may or may not like the intense flavor of the sugar, but with a scoop of ice cream, I think it is delicious.  If the apples don't caramelize completely, after you turn the tarte onto the serving plate, you can just spoon any remaining liquid over the top.  Either way, it's fantastic.

If you have never tried making tarte tatin, channel your inner Julia Child and fearlessly go for it.  The results will be delicious and gorgeous, even if it's not perfect.  Perfection is overrated, anyway, isn't it?  

Pear Tarte Tatin

For the dough:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into about 10 pieces
1 egg

For the filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4-5 Bosc pears (depending on the size of your skillet)
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Pulse the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt together in a food processor.  Add the butter and pulse until the butter ranges in size from that of a small pebble to that of cornmeal.  Empty the flour mixture into a bowl, and crack the egg on top.  Lightly scramble the egg and then, using your hands, work it into the dough until the dough starts to come together.  Roll the dough into a ball, and then flatten it into a disc about 4 inches around.  Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

When you are ready to cook the tart, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Heat the butter in an 8 or 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat.  When the butter has melted, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the pan.  Add the pears cut side down with their fatter sides towards the outside of the pan.  Squeeze in as many as you can because they will reduce slightly in size as they cook. Trim one pear half to fit in the middle. 

Turn the heat up to high and cook the pears until the sugar turns a rich, golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Rotate the pan if needed to ensure that the sugar browns evenly.  If the sugar begins to get darker than a medium brown, turn the heat down slightly.  Remove the pan from the heat, and, using two forks, carefully turn the pears over so that their cut sides face up.  Return them to the high heat and cook until the sugar is a deep caramel brown, about 5 minutes. 

While the pears are cooking, roll the dough out into a circle that is about an inch larger than the diameter of your pan.  When the pears are done, remove the pan from the heat and carefully drape the dough over the pan.  Taking care not to burn your fingers, tuck the edge of the dough along the side of the pan.  If you have measured accurately, the dough should just fit with a bit extra to slip down into the sides. If you do what I usually do and roll it a bit too big, just squeeze it into the pan.  Don't worry if the dough is a bit lumpy because this will be the underside of the tart when you are done.  Place the pan in the oven and let it cook until the crust is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. 

Remove the pan from the oven and let the tart cool for 15 minutes or more.  Place a large serving plate over the top of the pan.  With oven mitts or pot holders, pick up the pan with the plate on top and quickly flip the pan over so that the tart inverts onto the plate.  I recommend that you do this over a surface that is easy to clean (or the sink) because more than once a bit of caramel has oozed out of the side as I flip the pan.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you make the tart in advance and would like to serve it warm, you can reheat it in a warm oven -- say 250 to 300 degrees -- just before serving. 

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Comments

[Carey]

Um! I'm going to try the sweet potato tart tatin thatwas in the Post last month.

[Margy]

Sounds yummy. Let me know how it turns out.

[Tamara Rice]

Margy,

The 4-panel photos look almost as gorgeous as the tarte! Way to go on both the incredible-looking dessert, but also the high-tech and fluid blog post!!!

[Margy]

Thanks so much, Tamara. I'm trying to get the hang of it. I thought it would be helpful to show the steps for this recipe since the process is unusual. Thanks for noticing!

[Andrea]

I don't have pears now...can I just use the same recipe for apples?

[Margy]

Absolutely! That's the classic recipe. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your crew!

[Gina]

I am making this tarte, and homemade vanilla bean ice cream to go with it. MMMMM. Can't wait!

[Andrea]

I bought some pears, so I think we can try it both ways (I don't think I want to wait for the pears to ripen).

[Margy]

Gina, that sounds so good. Andrea, you'll have to let us know whether you prefer the apple or the pear.