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Chai Spiced Pear Tarte Tatin, fall desserts recipes easy
Brittany Stage

Chai Spiced Pear Tarte Tatin

Ripe pear slices caramelize in butter, sugar, and chai spices before being topped with golden puff pastry and flipped into a stunning upside-down tart. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for an elegant fall dessert that comes together in one skillet.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 38 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium ripe but firm pears Bosc or Anjou, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp chai spice blend store-bought, or see substitutions note
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract added off the heat
  • 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry thawed according to package directions, about 9 to 10 inches square
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour for dusting work surface

Equipment

  • 10-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron or stainless)
  • sharp knife and cutting board
  • wooden spoon or heat-safe spatula
  • rolling pin (if needed to size pastry)
  • large flat serving plate

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Peel, core, and slice the pears into 1/2-inch thick wedges. Pat them dry with paper towels. Dry pears caramelize better and splatter less in the hot butter.
  2. Place a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt completely, swirling the pan once. Add the sugar in an even layer over the butter. Cook without stirring for 4 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the edges begin turning amber. Give the pan a gentle swirl to even out the color, but do not stir with a spoon.
  3. Once the caramel is a deep amber color and smells like toffee, pull the skillet off the heat. Quickly stir in the chai spice blend, cinnamon, and salt using a wooden spoon. Add the vanilla carefully as it will steam. Arrange the pear slices in concentric circles over the caramel in the skillet, overlapping them slightly because they will shrink.
  4. Return the skillet to medium heat. Cook the pears in the caramel for 8 to 10 minutes, pressing them gently with a spatula occasionally, until the caramel bubbles up around the pears and they are just starting to soften. The caramel should look thick and glossy. Remove from heat.
  5. Lightly flour your work surface and unfold the puff pastry sheet. If needed, roll it into a rough 11-inch circle just slightly larger than your skillet. Drape the pastry over the pears and tuck the edges down around the inside of the pan, like tucking in a blanket. Cut three small slits in the center to vent steam.
  6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 25 to 28 minutes until the pastry is deep golden brown and puffed. Check at 25 minutes. A pale golden pastry means it needs more time. The bottom crust touching the caramel needs to be fully baked or it will be soggy when flipped.
  7. Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest for exactly 3 minutes, no longer. Place a large flat serving plate face-down over the top of the skillet. Using oven mitts, grip both the plate and the skillet firmly and flip them together in one smooth, confident motion. Lift the skillet away. Any pear pieces that shifted can be nudged back into place with a spoon.
  8. Serve immediately while warm. Cut into wedges at the table and offer vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream alongside.

Notes

The caramel is hot and moves fast. Have the pears prepped, the spices measured, and the pastry thawed before you start the caramel. Preparation makes this recipe easy.