Pear tarte tatin recipe

Try a different take on a tart with our delicious pear tarte tartin recipe. These upside-down French tarts are usually a bit of an effort to get right, but our foolproof recipe will get you making a perfect looking dessert without breaking a sweat.

To make the recipe easier, we used ready-rolled puff pastry, but you can also make your own from scratch. This easy recipe takes 25 mins to prepare, plus 35 mins of cooking time, which means you will have your pear tatin ready in just over an hour. To make the filling you will only need five ingredients, including four ripe pears.

It’s important you use ripe pears and not green because it gives the pear tarte tatin a sweeter taste. Once the pear tatin is ready and out of the oven, serve warm with a side of cream or vanilla ice cream for a little treat. As well as making this delicious pear tatin as an occasional cheeky treat, this recipe is also ideal for dinner parties or to finish off a meal with family or friends in style as it serves eight.

Ingredients

• 1 x 500g pack puff pastry
• 4 ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered
• 2tsp lemon juice
• 125g light muscovado sugar
• 50g unsalted butter
• Seeds of 1 vanilla pod

You'll also need:

• Plain flour, for dusting
• 24cm oven-proof frying pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7.
2. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly-floured surface and cut out a 28cm circle. Chill in the fridge.
3. In a large bowl, toss the pears with the lemon juice and 25g muscovado sugar.
4. Gently melt the butter in a 24cm oven-proof frying pan, then add the remaining 100g sugar and the vanilla seeds and melt over a medium-low heat. Shake the pan gently, but do not stir. Arrange the pears on top of the caramel in a spiral pattern. Cover with the pastry circle, tucking the edges inside the pan around the pears. Transfer the tarte tatin in the pan to the oven and bake for 30 mins, until golden brown and puffed up.
5. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 mins. Using a palette knife, loosen the pastry from the edge of the pan. Place a serving plate over the top and carefully flip the pan over to remove the tarte tatin. Slice and serve warm.