Happee Monkee

I love fruits. I admit I don’t have enough as I would like to but I’m getting there. I’ve also grown very fond of puff pastries. It’s incredibly useful especially on days you don’t want to cook. It’s a throw in and all and I absolutely love that idea.

My cousin A has given me a good easy recipe. On her lazy days, she put some cooked chicken & bacon, some cheese on a puff pastry and it’s in the oven. I imagine that would be heavenly for a Sunday breakie. No fuss. No hassle. And if one is especially lazy, no plates. Sundays or every day, that depends on an individual hey?

Pear Tarte Tin (serves 6 or, 1, whichever you prefer)
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* 100g butter, chopped
* 1 1/4 cups caster sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 6 large beurre bosc or packham pears, peeled, cored, sliced into 12
* 2 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry
* 300ml double thick cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and line base of a 20cm (base) round cake pan.
2. Melt butter in a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat.
3. Sprinkle caster sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over butter.
4. Add pears, overlapping slightly so they fit tightly. Reduce heat to medium.
5. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Remove cover. Gently shake pan. Cook, uncovered, for a further 20 minutes or until pears are almost tender.
7. Remove pears with a large metal spoon. Carefully arrange pears in a spiral pattern on base of cake pan, completely covering surface.
8. Simmer sauce in pan for 3 minutes or until it turns a deep caramel colour.
9. Pour sauce over pears so they are half covered. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
10. Cut a 24cm round from each pastry sheet. Place on top of each other, gently pressing with rolling pin to secure.
11. Place over pears, pressing excess under pears (this forms a border to hold pears when you turn it out).
12. Bake tart for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.
13. Stand in pan for 5 minutes.
14. Whisk cream, and cinnamon together until thick.
15. Turn tart out onto a 2cm-deep plate. Cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature with cream.

Note: Tarte tatin is a famous French upside down tart traditionally made with apples. Serve warm with cream or vanilla ice-cream.

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1. Mascarpone Berry Tarts with Caramel Sauce