Pear Tarts With Caramel Sauce Recipes

VANILLA-SPICED CARAMEL AND PEAR TART

Steps:

• For crust:
• Roll out pastry to 12-inch square and trim off corners, forming slightly rounded crust. (If using all-butter puff pastry, roll out to 12-inch round.) Transfer pastry to 10-inch-diameter springform pan, pressing pastry firmly onto bottom and 1 to 1 1/2 inches up sides of pan. Freeze crust until firm, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
• For pears:
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over low heat. Add sugar and next 4 ingredients. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring until sugar melts and turns brown (color of peanut butter), about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add pears, rounded side down. Cook until pears are almost tender, turning and moving skillet around occasionally to ensure even cooking, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on ripeness of pears. Carefully turn pears over; continue to cook until pears are very tender, about 10 minutes longer. Remove skillet from heat; cool pears in skillet with spices (pears will release juice while cooling).
• For filling:
• Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. Increase heat to medium; cook until butter is golden (watch to avoid burning), 3 to 4 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and spices from butter; discard. Whisk sugar, egg, and coarse salt in medium bowl. Whisk in flour. Gradually whisk browned butter into egg mixture. DO AHEAD: Pears and filling can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover separately; let stand at room temperature. Whisk filling before using.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Brush frozen crust with beaten egg white. Pour filling into crust; spread evenly over bottom of crust (filling will be very thin). Using slotted spatula, remove pears from skillet, allowing excess syrup to drain back into skillet; reserve syrup. Arrange pears, rounded side up, atop filling (about 9 around edge and 3 in center of pan).
• Bake tart until crust is deep golden and filling is set and brown at edges, about 1 hour. Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen tart. Release pan sides. Transfer tart to platter. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature to cool slightly until just warm.
• Just before serving, boil syrup in skillet until reduced to generous 1/3 cup, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard spices. Drizzle syrup over pears. Serve tart slightly warm.

CARAMELIZED PEAR TARTS WITH CARDAMOM CREAM

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
• Roll out pastry into a 12-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Brush off excess flour and cut out 4 (5-inch) rounds by tracing around an inverted plate or bowl with tip of a small sharp knife. Prick pastry rounds all over with a fork and transfer to baking sheet. Bake until rounds are puffed and golden, 12 to 15 minutes, then cool on baking sheet on a rack.
• While pastry bakes, toss pear halves with lemon juice in a bowl. Cook 1/2 cup granulated sugar and a pinch of salt in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, swirling skillet (to help sugar melt evenly), until caramel is deep golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter with a wooden spoon (mixture will bubble vigorously). When bubbling begins to subside, immediately add pear halves, cut sides down, and cook over moderately low heat, covered, turning over once, until pears are tender when pierced with a small sharp knife, about 13 minutes total. Remove from heat.
• Beat cream, cardamom, and remaining tablespoon granulated sugar in a bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks.
• Put each pastry round on a small plate and dust lightly with confectioners sugar if desired. Spoon some of caramel sauce onto center of each round and top with a pear half, cut side down. Serve with cardamom cream on the side.

PEAR CARAMEL TART

Steps:

• In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter and stir in sugar. As mixture begins to bubble, remove from heat and spread out pears. Return skillet to heat and cook over medium high until golden brown syrup bubbles up. This process will take about 30 minutes. Roll out crust to flatten folds and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Place crust over pears and press down around edges. Cut slits in crust and brush with egg. Bake for 30 minutes until crust is golden brown. Allow skillet to cool for 2 minutes. Loosen edges of crust with paring knife. Invert tart onto plate and cool.

CARAMEL PEAR TART

Steps:

• Crust:
• In food processor, combine flour and sugar; sprinkle with butter cubes.
• Pulse until fine crumbs. Drizzle in cream and process until dough clumps together.
• Press into a 10-inch (25 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chilled.
• Meanwhile, prepare filling and topping:.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, heat sugar and 1/3 cup (75 mL) water, stirring until dissolved.
• Bring to boil; boil gently until syrup is a deep caramel colour. Carefully add 3/4 cup (175 mL) cream; stir until smooth.
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Peel pears; cut in half lengthwise and remove stems and cores.
• Cut each half crosswise into thin slices, keeping shape intact.
• Place flat side down in tart shell, fanning slices out slightly.
• Set 1/4 cup (50 mL) caramel aside for topping.
• In a bowl, whisk egg with flour until smooth; whisk in remaining caramel until blended. Pour evenly over pears.
• Bake in bottom of oven for about 45 minutes until crust is golden and custard is set.
• Let cool until slightly warm.
• In a bowl, whip remaining cream; fold in reserved caramel.
• Serve slices of tart with a dollop of caramel cream.
• Rich and delicious!

ROASTED PEARS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in a baking pan large enough to hold the pears in a single layer: set in the heating oven until it melts.
• Sprinkle sugar over melted butter, then place pears, cut side down, on top. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven, turn pears over and baste with pan sauce. Return to oven; bake until golden and glossy, about 10 minutes longer.
• Let cool slightly. Transfer pears to dessert plates or bowls. Top each with dollop of sour cream, drizzle with caramel pan sauce, sprinkle with nuts and serve.