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Tartin: Tarte Tartin

Source of Recipe

Christine's B & B, Great Barrington, MA


List of Ingredients

Ingredients for Dough:

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
Salt

Pear Topping:

2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 pounds Bartlett pears



Recipe

First, make the dough. Beat the butter and superfine sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the flour gradually with a pinch of salt and mix to a smooth dough. Knead lightly for 5 minutes. Wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with baking parchment and spread half the butter and brown sugar over the bottom. Add the lemon juice to a large bowl of water. Peel, core, and quarter the pears, putting them into the acidulated water as you go. When all the pears are prepared, drain off the water thoroughly and pat the fruit dry with paper towels. Pack them tightly into the bottom of the cake pan. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and butter over the pears. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until a light caramel forms.

Just before ready to cook, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out into a 10-inch round on a floured counter. Work quickly at this stage so that the butter in the dough does not melt. Use plenty of flour on both the counter and rolling pin. Do not worry about making the round very neat as the tarte is inverted, so any wrinkles will not show. Place the dough over the pears.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until well browned. Remove from the oven and invert on a warmed serving plate. Serve at once with clotted cream or ice cream.