Pear Tarte Tatin

Pear Tarte Tatin

Serves 8

The tarte Tatin is now considered a classic French dessert and one of my favorite fall recipes when pears are in season. It is thought to be named after the Tatin sisters, Caroline and Stéphanie, who served it in their Hôtel Tatin located south of Paris in the late 1800s. It is a delicious dessert where fruit (like apples or pears) is caramelized in butter and sugar before being baked. I add a twist which is the addition of raw nuts – like hazelnuts or pecans – to add crunch and flavor.

Ingredients

Pastry Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons lemon zest, from a microplane (from 2 large lemons)
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed (1 stick)
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling Ingredients

5 to 6 large firm and slightly under-ripe Bosc pears, stemmed, seeded, peeled and cored (aim for pears that are around 6 ounces in weight to ensure they will fit in the pan)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup chopped raw nuts (pecans, walnuts, pine nuts or hazelnuts)

Variation

• This recipe works great with apples as well.

Directions

To make the pastry dough, whisk all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, salt and lemon zest, until combined, in a large bowl. Add the butter to the large bowl and with a pastry cutter (or your hands) work the dough until the butter is in pea-sized pieces, 1 to 2 minutes. Add water and continue to work the dough adding just enough water for the dough to come together into a ball. Press into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

While the dough rests, prepare the filling by cutting each pear in half lengthwise on a cutting board. Toss lemon juice over the pears until coated. Set aside.

Melt the butter, over medium-low heat, in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Stir in the sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, until dissolved, about 1 minute. Turn the heat to low. Arrange the pears (and accumulated juices) cut side down in a single layer, forming a circle around the pan, until slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, flip each pear to the opposite side and let cook, until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle evenly with nuts and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll out the pastry dough to a 12-inch round disc. Lay the dough over the pears, pressing dough down slightly and tuck in the edges of the dough.

Place the cast iron into the pre-heated oven until the pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges and invert onto a plate.