Pear Tarte Tatin — The Second Time Something Becomes a Tradition

Halloween. Made pumpkin soup again because the sugar pumpkin at the market was perfect and the recipe is now a tradition, which means it's happened twice, and twice is enough for a tradition in this house where traditions are established the moment I decide they are.

Earl Thomas trick-or-treated as a construction worker this year — hard hat, tool belt, a little orange vest that Jolene found at a costume shop. I didn't choose this costume but I approved of it deeply because a construction worker is an honest costume for a Hensley boy, a costume that says work matters and the people who build things matter. He toddled from door to door holding Travis's hand, the hard hat wobbling, the tool belt dragging, and I followed behind and carried the candy bucket because my role as grandfather is to carry things, and carrying is enough.

The cough is returning with the cold. Not bad yet — the morning clearing, the ten-minute ritual. The inhaler handles it. But I notice it the way you notice a familiar guest arriving for the season — here you are again, I was expecting you, sit down and stay as long as you must.

The pumpkin soup was the savory anchor of the evening, but once Earl Thomas was tucked in with his haul and the hard hat was hanging by the door, I wanted something warm and sweet to close the night — something that felt as deliberate and unhurried as the season itself. Pears have been sitting in the bowl all week getting exactly right, and a tarte tatin has that quality I look for in fall cooking: you flip it over and something that looked like work reveals itself as something beautiful. That felt like the right note to end Halloween on.

Pear Tarte Tatin

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry, thawed
• 4 medium ripe but firm pears (Bosc or Anjou), peeled, halved, and cored
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Have a 10-inch oven-safe skillet ready.
2. Make the caramel. In the skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar in an even layer and cook without stirring for 5–7 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar melts and turns a deep amber caramel. Watch carefully — it goes from perfect to burned quickly.
3. Add flavor. Remove the pan from heat and carefully stir in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. The caramel will bubble up — that’s normal.
4. Arrange the pears. Place the pear halves cut-side up in the caramel, arranging them snugly in a single layer with the narrow ends pointing toward the center. They will shrink as they cook, so pack them in.
5. Cook the pears. Return the skillet to medium heat and cook the pears in the caramel for 10–12 minutes, until the pears begin to soften and the caramel thickens and deepens around them.
6. Top with pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry sheet into a circle just larger than your skillet. Drape it over the pears, tucking the edges down around them inside the pan.
7. Bake. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 22–25 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown and puffed.
8. Rest and flip. Let the tart rest in the pan for 5 minutes — no longer, or the caramel will stick. Run a knife around the edge, place a large plate or cutting board firmly over the skillet, and flip in one confident motion. Lift the pan away and rearrange any pears that shifted.
9. Serve. Serve warm, cut into wedges, with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche alongside if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 290 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 115mg