This Pear Tarte Tatin is a perfect example of a dessert that looks as good as it tastes. The crispy, buttery crust is ideal for the moist, flavorful fruit. This classic French tart is so easy to make and is a real crowd-pleaser.
Why This Recipe Stands Out
We all love a good dessert, and this Pear Tart Tatin is no exception. It's a simple yet impressive recipe that's perfect for any occasion. Here's why we love it:
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients. You probably have most of them in your kitchen already.
- Perfectly Caramelized Pears: The pears in this recipe are cooked to perfection. The combination of the caramelized pears and the buttery crust is absolutely delicious.
- Versatile: This tart can be enjoyed warm or cold. It's perfect on its own, but it's also delicious with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- Easy to Make: This recipe is surprisingly easy to make. The detailed instructions make it simple to recreate this impressive dessert at home.
- Looks Incredible: This Pear Tart looks as good as it tastes. It's a beautiful, elegant dessert that's sure to impress your family and friends.
Key Ingredients
- Pears – We use ripe pears for this recipe. They're peeled, cored, and sliced, and when baked, they become tender and juicy, with a slightly caramelized flavor.
- Butter and Sugar – We use these to make a simple caramel in the pan. The butter adds a rich, creamy flavor, while the sugar caramelizes, giving the tarte tatin its signature sweet, sticky glaze.
- Almond Extract – Just a small amount of almond extract adds a subtle, nutty flavor that complements the sweetness of the pears and caramel.
- Shortcrust – We make a simple shortcrust dough using flour, cold unsalted butter, and ice water. This dough bakes up crisp and flaky, providing the perfect base for our tarte tatin.
Substitutions and Variations
This pear tarte tatin is a delicious and beautiful dessert. Here are some of our favorite variations and substitutions:
- Fruits: We love using ripe, sweet pears for this recipe. However, feel free to substitute with apples, like I do in this Vegan Apple Tarte Tartin recipe.
- Extract: We use almond extract to add a lovely nutty flavor to the tarte tatin. If you're not a fan of almond, you can substitute it with vanilla extract.
- Spices: Feel free to add some warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to the sugar and butter mixture for a cozy, aromatic twist.
How to Make Pear Tarte Tatin
Step 1: Add shortcrust ingredients to a mixer and process until it forms coarse crumbs. While mixing, add water and pulse until soft dough forms. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
Step 2: In a skillet, melt butter and sugar on high heat. Add pears and let them brown on all sides for 6-7 minutes. Once pears are caramelized, remove from heat and let it cool.
Step 3: Roll out the dough enough to cover the skillet. Arrange the pears neatly and lay the dough over them. Bake for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Invert the skillet and plate together.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use any type of pear for this recipe. However, it's best to choose pears that are firm and slightly underripe. This will ensure that they hold their shape well during the cooking process.
Chilling the dough is important as it allows the gluten in the flour to relax, resulting in a more tender and flaky crust. It also gives the butter in the dough a chance to solidify again, which will make the crust easier to work with when you roll it out.
Pear tarte tatin can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, it's best to store it in the refrigerator for an additional 2-3 days. Just make sure to reheat it before serving for the best flavor.
Recipe
Pear Tarte Tatin
Ingredients
- 3 large pears peeled, cored and sliced in 6
- 90 grams butter
- 90 grams sugar
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
For the shortcrust:
- 130 grams all-purpose flour about 1 cup
- 75 grams cold unsalted butter cut in ⅛-inch pieces
- 1 ½ tablespoons ice water
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a bowl of standing mixer, add shortcrust ingredients and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. While mixer is still running add water and pulse for 5-6 times until soft dough starts to form and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 390 F.
- In the medium oven-proof skillet and on the high heat, melt butter and sugar. Add pears and allow them to brown on all sides for 6-7 minutes. Once pears have caramelised and nice and brown, take the skillet off the heat and let it cool.
- Roll out the dough between cling film, enough to cover the skillet. Arrange the pears neatly and lay the dough over the pears. Tuck in the edges.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the tarte rest for 5 minutes.
- Using a flat plate, place it over the tarte and quickly invert the skillet and plate together.
- Enjoy warm or cold with a scoop of ice-cream or whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Nina Kulish says
I love fruit pies and tarts and I made this tart once, it is so good. Usually I use apples for baking but pears add a special note to the flavor here.