I’m dying to go apple and pear picking. I’ve decided that it is fall and my mind has shifted to the autumnal fruit. Well, there is nowhere to pick yet, so I went to the co-op and bought some seckel pears, from who knows where? I like to bake with seckels because they are very firm, which means you can cook them in the caramel longer and they don’t turn to mush.
It is also the season for one of my favorite treats, the pomegranate. It is one of those foods that is more about the experience than the flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I love the taste, but the fun is picking the seeds out and biting into their tart juices. My boys love them too, because they are a serious mess. I send them out onto the back steps and they eat, with the red juices flying everywhere.
The tartness of the pomegranate is a perfect match for the sweet caramel and the mellow flavor of the seckel pears. I throw in a cinnamon stick and that is that. Here is how to make this pear pomegranate tarte tatin. You’ll find the full recipe at the bottom of this post.
Pear Pomegranate Tarte Tatin
In a cast iron skillet melt the butter, then sprinkle the sugar over it. Drop the cinnamon stick in the middle then arrange the pears, cut side up in the sugar.
Cook on low heat until the pears start to absorb the caramel and the juices are bubbling around them. I like to cook them slowly and for a while so the pears take on as much caramel as possible. My stove is really intense so I have to move the pears around so they are getting cooked evenly. This usually takes about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the pears. If you are using a softer pear it will go much faster. Just keep an eye on them.
Preheat the oven to 350° (If you are using puff pastry turn the heat up to 375°)*
Once the pears are coloring nicely and the caramel is bubbling turn off the stove and let them cool for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the top and drape a circle of dough over the pears. The dough should be about 1″ beyond the edge of the pears. Some doughs, especially puff pastry, will shrink as it bakes, so you want to make sure you have plenty to cover the pears.
Place the entire skillet in the oven and
bake for about 30 minutes, or until the dough is nice and golden brown.
Allow the tart to cool in the skillet for about 5 minutes and then invert it onto a serving platter. Make sure the platter is larger than the skillet so that when you flip it all of the hot caramel juices don’t spill out. Needless to say this should be served with something nice and creamy. I served it with unadorned creme fraiche, but vanilla ice cream would be excellent as well.
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4-6 seckel pears, depending on size Cored and cut in half.
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds optional
- 1 disk pastry dough brioche dough, tart dough, pie dough or puff pastry will work well
Instructions
- In a cast iron skillet melt the butter, then sprinkle the sugar over it. Drop the cinnamon stick in the middle then arrange the pears, cut side up in the sugar.
- Cook on low heat until the pears start to absorb the caramel and the juices are bubbling around them. I like to cook them slowly and for a while so the pears take on as much caramel as possible. My stove is really intense so I have to move the pears around so they are getting cooked evenly. This usually takes about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the pears. If you are using a softer pear it will go much faster. Just keep an eye on them.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (If you are using puff pastry turn the heat up to 375°F).
- Once the pears are coloring nicely and the caramel is bubbling turn off the stove and let them cool for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the top and drape a circle of dough over the pears. The dough should be about 1″ beyond the edge of the pears. Some doughs, especially puff pastry, will shrink as it bakes, so you want to make sure you have plenty to cover the pears.
- Place the entire skillet in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the dough is nice and golden brown.
- Allow the tart to cool in the skillet for about 5 minutes and then invert it onto a serving platter. Make sure the platter is larger than the skillet so that when you flip it all of the hot caramel juices don’t spill out. Needless to say this should be served with something nice and creamy. I served it with unadorned creme fraiche, but vanilla ice cream would be excellent as well.
Looking for more pomegranate? Check out this Pomegranate Swirl New York Cheesecake recipe next.
I want to make this deliciouslooking pear tarte in my cast iron skillet using brioche dough which I already have in the frig. Questions:1. How much dough should I take out for a 10 inch skillet? 2. Do I roll our the dough and then let it sit of 60-90 minute sand then place on top of the cooked pears? 3.Or do I roll out the dough and ,place it on top the pears in the skillet and then let it rise? 4. How long do I bake it in the oven?
Hi Sue,
We have that exact recipe in HBin5. You’ll want to use 1/2 pound of dough and it requires no resting before or after laying it over the caramelized fruit. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi Zoë!
I LOVE this idea! I was looking at the Emile Henri tatin set, but will likely use it about once or twice a year. A cast iron skillet, on the other hand, has a hundred uses. What size is yours? My 10″ looks a bit small for pears, but any excuse to add a 12″ monster to my kitchen is a good one!
I just made Maple Monkey Bread with the ABin5 Brioche Dough, and this is next!
Thanks again,
Francesco in Montreal
Hi Francesco,
So glad you can now justify the 12-inch cast iron skillet, it is a beauty! 😉 Just keep in mind that the 12-inch skillet is a bit of a beast to flip over, so be careful. I think I used a 10-inch in this post!
Cheers, Zoë
Hi Clint,
Dd that recipe call for ground cinnamon and other spices or were they left whole? Unfortunately I can’t get the link you left to work?
The flavor of the cinnamon in this recipe is not at all overwhelming to me. Having said that everyone’s tastes are so different so you may want to try it with half a stick and see if that suits you better.
If the other recipe uses ground spices it will have an entirely different flavor.
Thanks! Zoë