Pears and caramel – an autumn tart

by Sharon Santoni

Pears and apples are our local autumn fruit, and I love to use them for baking.

This recipe is a chic and tasty alternative to the traditional apple tarte Tatin, made famous when the Tatin sisters chose to present their apple pie upside down, showing off the beautiful fruit caramelised in the cooking juices.

To make this delicious dessert you will need a sheet of sweet or short pastry, or even puff pastry if you prefer. You’ll also need five or six pears, peeled , cored and halved, about 4 oz or 120 grams of butter and the same of sugar and and most importantly a heavy based frying pan or skillet, that can cook both over heat and also in the oven. I use an old frying pan that lost its handle many years ago!

Place the large slice of butter in a heavy based pan or skillet, pour in the sugar. Lay the pears, peeled, cored and halved, arranged carefully, thinking how they will look when the tart is served ‘bottom-up’.

Turn up the heat and cook gently first to melt the butter, then more quickly to caramelise the sugar. Once the sugar has just turned golden brown, take the pan off the heat and gently lay the pastry crust over the fruit, making sure it fits snugly to the pan.

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Pop your pan into the oven pre-heated to 190, or gas 5. Bake until the pastry crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before turning upside down onto your serving platter. Bring to the table and wave to your delirious fans, smile graciously and murmur “no really, it’s nothing …. just a little pear tart…..”

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PS. The winner of my brocante tour giveaway, a one T Scott still hasn’t been in touch to claim his or her prize. I can’t have a a giveaway without a winner, so if I hear nothing before Wednesday 4th December, there shall be a new draw at midday, Paris time of course!

Pictures via

31 comments

Emily Brouwer December 1, 2013 - 12:02 pm

Hi Sharon,
I’ve tried to contact you about a cottage rental in July, but the contact link seems glitchy. Could you e-mail me to get the conversation started, or suggest another way to contact you?
Merci!
Emily

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 5:56 pm

I sent you an email Emily , speak soon!

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Denise December 1, 2013 - 1:19 pm

Good morning Sharon,
The degree on the tart is it really only 190 for American ovens. I want to make the tart.
Best regards, Denise

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 9:49 pm

Replies have come in below Denise, hope the tart turns out well
X

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Bebe December 1, 2013 - 1:59 pm

190 degrees (Celsius) is 375 Fahrenheit (American ovens). Here is a handy conversion chart:

https://www.joyofbaking.com/OvenTemperatures.html

The pear tart sounds lovely and simple. Thank you!

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 9:49 pm

Thank you Bebe!

X

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Celia December 1, 2013 - 1:59 pm

Denise – 190C is 375F which makes more sense for us in North America. I’m going to try it too – looks delish!!
Celia

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 9:52 pm

Thanks Celia, happy baking. !

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Colleen Taylor December 1, 2013 - 2:23 pm

I’ve got to try this Sharon. I’m sitting here with my coffee around 7:00am in Arizona which happens to be rather chilly right now…could I ever use a piece of that pear tart right now. Just about every recipe that you have shared, I have successfully tried & loved. This is a keeper. Thank you for this!

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 9:54 pm

Thank you Colleen, most of the recipes I share here are family favourites, tried and tested by family and friends

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Christina December 1, 2013 - 4:03 pm

Oh how yummy- I tried to make one for Thanksgiving based on a french cookbook and sadly it did not turn out looking anything like your lovely creation- must give yours a try!

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 9:55 pm

Oh I’m sorry to hear that Christina, hope this one works for you

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Emm December 1, 2013 - 4:44 pm

This sounds soooo good. And just in time for colder weather.

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 9:56 pm

Best eaten slightly warm Emm

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Nancy December 1, 2013 - 6:04 pm

It sounds easy and looks beautiful, however, does it really just slide off the pan? I will have to try this!
Nancy

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 9:58 pm

Nancy I always run a knife around the edge before turning the tart upside down. Sometimes a piece of fruit stays stuck to the pan, but it is easy to lift it away with a knife and position it carefully on the tart – nobody will know!

X

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Bebe December 1, 2013 - 6:26 pm

Re removing it from the pan, Nancy, it doesn’t slide out.

Let cool for a bit. Invert the serving plate on the pan like a lid. Then, grasping both sides of pan and lid with two hands in oven mits), flip the whole thing. The crust will end up on the plate with the fruit and syrup on top. Remove the pan. Sometimes the fruit becomes displaced or clings to the pan – put it in place on your tart and scrape any syrup that remains in the pan onto the top of the fruit. Let cool completely.

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 9:59 pm

Good advice Bebe, although I enjoy the tart more slightly warm than completely cooled

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Cathy December 1, 2013 - 7:26 pm

Hi, Sharon! It looks delicious!

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 10:28 pm

It is!!

X

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Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon December 1, 2013 - 7:36 pm

Another wonderful recipe. I love the elegant simplicity. Do you have a specific/favorite pear or will any pear work?

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Sharon santoni December 1, 2013 - 10:30 pm

Most often I use conference pears because their long narrow shape makes it easy to lay them neatly around the pan. You need to used them just ripe, so they’ll cook through without turning to compote!

Xx

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Karen (Back Road Journal) December 1, 2013 - 11:07 pm

Absolutely beautiful to look at and delicious, I’m sure. There are no more pears in our orchard but I’ll happily make a trip to the market to prepare your lovely dessert. 🙂

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Linda Quast December 2, 2013 - 3:05 am

Sharon,
This tart looks fabulous. I am so anxious to try it. Maybe sometime during our holiday celebrations.
Have a wonderful week.
Linda

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david terry December 2, 2013 - 9:30 am

“….PS. The winner of my brocante tour giveaway, a one T Scott still hasn’t been in touch to claim his or her prize. I can’t have a a giveaway without a winner….”

Dear Sharon, Quite aside from anything The Rev. Dr. Terry wrote on your blog following the announcement, and any suspicions that might consequently arise?…..

I can provide full & verified documentation and witnesses in regard to my movements, outside-communications, and location during ALL of the days (and nights) since you announced this inexplicably & suddenly un-reachable winner.

Sincerely,

David Terry
http://www.davidterryart.com

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Martine Alison December 2, 2013 - 11:38 am

Bonjour chère amie,

Une tarte comme je les aime… Je fais également ce genre de tarte tatin avec les pêches !…
Oh le prix n’a pas été réclamé par la gagnante !…
Il fera peut-être un nouvel heureux ?…

Gros bisous à vous et merci pour les odeurs de cette bonne tarte, odeurs virtuelles mais je n’en doute pas bien réelles !

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Suzanne de Cornelia December 2, 2013 - 9:55 pm

Love your new design, Sharon. And was just dreaming of Pear Tart the other night.

Fortunately we have an outstanding bakery here–the owners are from Brittany…everything they do is perfection. Like you!

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Deborah Carter December 3, 2013 - 12:47 pm

It appears that it is David Terry who (in Eliza Doolittle speak) has done her in! You’d better give him the brocante tour prize!
Deborah from Melbourne.

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david terry December 3, 2013 - 10:53 pm

Oh, “Deborah”….as I wrote previously, I’m not allowed to win trips to France. My partner’s French, and I’m already spoiled enough (we go there at least twice per year for long stays) that, just last week, I said “mmmm, I’m not certain yet….but I don’t think we have to go to Paris for Christmas this year.”

A friend who was sitting there at the table with me and two other friends simply set her glass down rather forcefully, and announced “I can’t believe you just said that. ‘HAVE to’??????? You are SO spoiled……I’m going to talk to Herve about this”.

I agreed with her.

I do hope “T Scott” turns up. Imagine how you’d feel (irritated beyond measure, I expect) if you’d won this trip and then lost it because you simply hadn’t bothered to check back in on Sharon’s blog?

—-david terry
http://www.davidterryart.com

—-david terry
http://www.davidterryart.com

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fig tart recipe - MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME September 27, 2019 - 4:06 pm

[…] For other autumn recipes, try Sharon’s pear and caramel tart. […]

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