Pear Tarte Tatin

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Pear Tarte Tatin.jpg

Ingredients

Pastry:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Filling:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 large Bartlett pears (about 2 pounds/1 kilogram), peeled, cored and quartered

Method

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in enough water and lemon juice to bring dough together in a ball. (You may need slightly more or less liquid to do this.)

Roll out to a 12-inch round on a floured surface. Invert a 10-inch ovenproof skillet on top of pastry and use the point of a sharp knife to cut out a circle. Place circle on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Spread butter in same 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle with sugar. Lay in pears, round side down, with narrow ends going into centre. They should slightly overlap. Lay remaining quarters in centre to fill it.

Place on medium heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking pan frequently, or until sugar has caramelized. Place pan on cookie sheet. Remove pastry from freezer and place on top. Bake for 35 minutes or until pastry is golden. It will shrink down onto the pears.

Remove skillet from oven and let rest for 10 minutes for juices to absorb (not too long or the pears will stick). Place a large serving plate on top of skillet and invert pan onto it. If any pears stick, ease them out and replace. Use a spatula to scrape out any remaining caramel and pour over pears. Serve warm.