Vanilla-Spiced Caramel And Pear Tart
Serves: 5
Kirstin Bosco
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
50
Spice
67
Sweetness
55
Sourness
53
mins
Prep time (avg)
6.1
Difficulty
Ingredients:
Directions:
1
For crust: Roll out pastry to 12-inch square and trim off corners, forming slightly rounded crust
2
(If using all-butter puff pastry, roll out to 12-inch round
3
) Transfer pastry to 10-inch-diameter springform pan, pressing pastry firmly onto bottom and 1 to 1 1/2 inches up sides of pan
4
Freeze crust until firm, 1 to 1 1/2 hours
5
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead
6
Cover and keep frozen
7
Roll out pastry to 12-inch square and trim off corners, forming slightly rounded crust
8
(If using all-butter puff pastry, roll out to 12-inch round
9
) Transfer pastry to 10-inch-diameter springform pan, pressing pastry firmly onto bottom and 1 to 1 1/2 inches up sides of pan
10
Freeze crust until firm, 1 to 1 1/2 hours
11
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead
12
Cover and keep frozen
13
For pears: Melt butter in heavy large skillet over low heat
14
Add sugar and next 4 ingredients
15
Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean
16
Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring until sugar melts and turns brown (color of peanut butter), about 3 minutes
17
Reduce heat to medium; add pears, rounded side down
18
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
19
Carefully turn pears over; continue to cook until pears are very tender, about 10 minutes longer
20
Remove skillet from heat; cool pears in skillet with spices (pears will release juice while cooling)
21
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over low heat
22
Add sugar and next 4 ingredients
23
Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean
24
Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring until sugar melts and turns brown (color of peanut butter), about 3 minutes
25
Reduce heat to medium; add pears, rounded side down
26
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
27
Carefully turn pears over; continue to cook until pears are very tender, about 10 minutes longer
28
Remove skillet from heat; cool pears in skillet with spices (pears will release juice while cooling)
29
For filling: Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat
30
Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean
31
Add cinnamon, star anise, and cloves
32
Increase heat to medium; cook until butter is golden (watch to avoid burning), 3 to 4 minutes
33
Remove vanilla bean and spices from butter; discard
34
Whisk sugar, egg, and coarse salt in medium bowl
35
Whisk in flour
36
Gradually whisk browned butter into egg mixture
37
DO AHEAD: Pears and filling can be made 6 hours ahead
38
Cover separately; let stand at room temperature
39
Whisk filling before using
40
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F
41
Brush frozen crust with beaten egg white
42
Pour filling into crust; spread evenly over bottom of crust (filling will be very thin)
43
Using slotted spatula, remove pears from skillet, allowing excess syrup to drain back into skillet; reserve syrup
44
Arrange pears, rounded side up, atop filling (about 9 around edge and 3 in center of pan)
45
Bake tart until crust is deep golden and filling is set and brown at edges, about 1 hour
46
Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen tart
47
Release pan sides
48
Transfer tart to platter
49
Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature to cool slightly until just warm
50
Just before serving, boil syrup in skillet until reduced to generous 1/3 cup, 1 to 2 minutes
51
Discard spices
52
Drizzle syrup over pears
53
Serve tart slightly warm
54
Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat
55
Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean
56
Add cinnamon, star anise, and cloves
57
Increase heat to medium; cook until butter is golden (watch to avoid burning), 3 to 4 minutes
58
Remove vanilla bean and spices from butter; discard
59
Whisk sugar, egg, and coarse salt in medium bowl
60
Whisk in flour
61
Gradually whisk browned butter into egg mixture
62
DO AHEAD: Pears and filling can be made 6 hours ahead
63
Cover separately; let stand at room temperature
64
Whisk filling before using
65
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F
66
Brush frozen crust with beaten egg white
67
Pour filling into crust; spread evenly over bottom of crust (filling will be very thin)
68
Using slotted spatula, remove pears from skillet, allowing excess syrup to drain back into skillet; reserve syrup
69
Arrange pears, rounded side up, atop filling (about 9 around edge and 3 in center of pan)
70
Bake tart until crust is deep golden and filling is set and brown at edges, about 1 hour
71
Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen tart
72
Release pan sides
73
Transfer tart to platter
74
Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature to cool slightly until just warm
75
Just before serving, boil syrup in skillet until reduced to generous 1/3 cup, 1 to 2 minutes
76
Discard spices
77
Drizzle syrup over pears
78
Serve tart slightly warm