Easy pear tarte Tatin

Ingredients:

• 1 roll (400g) puff pastry, defrosted
• 2-3 medium-sized pears, cored and cut into thin wedges
• ½ cup (125g) sugar
• ¼ cup (60ml) water
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) butter
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) cream
• 1 vanilla pod, halved (vanilla essence works too)
• 1 egg, whisked
• Vanilla ice-cream or cream and mint leaves, for serving (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
2. Roll pastry out on a floured surface to 3mm thick.
3. Cut a circle of pastry the size of your cast-iron pan or ovenproof dish.
4. Cover with baking paper and chill until needed.
5. Heat sugar and water in the pan or ovenproof dish, stirring until sugar dissolves.
6. Bring to a boil and heat until it turns an amber-caramel colour and forms large bubbles (about 115˚C).
7. Add butter and cream – careful, it may splatter.
8. Swirl to combine, leaving it on the heat for a few seconds until the sauce comes together.
9. Add vanilla and remove from heat.
10. Arrange pears in the pan or dish.
11. Cover with pastry, tuck in the sides and brush top with whisked egg.
12. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
13. Flip tart out onto a plate, pears facing up.
14. Serve with ice cream or cream and mint, if you like.