The pear and chocolate tarte-tatin is a rich and tasty dessert, suitable even for those suffering from celiac disease, as all the flours used are gluten-free.
It is also an egg-free cake, so those who are allergic can also enjoy this delicious dessert.
The tarte Tatin is an upside-down apple cake, typical of France, where the apples are caramelized in butter and sugar before baking and are placed at the bottom of the pan. The fact that fruit and dough are actually cooked upside down gives the cake a particular crispness compared to traditional fruit cakes where the fruit is on the top.
The tarte tatin is usually made with a base of puff pastry or shortcrust pastry, but in this case, I used a kind of gluten-free shortcrust. The cake is named after sisters Stephanie and Caroline Tatin who invented it.
Try it in a savory version too
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8/10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for the Pear and Chocolate Tarte Tatin
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/4 cup hazelnut flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 pears
- 1 pinch salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3.7 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup fresh cream
Tools
- 1 Baking pan diameter 9.5/10 inches
Preparation of the Pear and Chocolate Tarte Tatin
To make the gluten-free pear and chocolate tarte-tatin, first sift and mix the rice flour, buckwheat flour, and hazelnut flour in a bowl. Add the sifted cocoa, half of the brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Add 1/3 cup of cold butter cut into cubes and start kneading with your fingers. Gradually add cold water and continue to knead until you get a compact mixture (the consistency should be similar to shortcrust pastry). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge.
Meanwhile, peel the pears and cut them into wedges. In a baking pan that can go on the stove, place the remaining 2 tbsp of butter in small pieces and sprinkle the bottom with the remaining half of the brown sugar. Arrange the pear wedges in a radial pattern, covering the entire bottom of the pan.
Place the baking pan on the stove and cook for 10 minutes, covering with a lid for the first 5 minutes, then uncover and let the fruit caramelize well with the butter and sugar.
Let it cool, then take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper. Cover the pears with the dough, prick the surface with a fork, and bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly, then flip the tarte-tatin onto a serving plate and prepare the caramel sauce.
In a fairly large saucepan (that can hold 5 times the initial volume), place the sugar with 1.7 tbsp of water. Put on the stove and let dissolve until you get a blond caramel.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the cream with the remaining water, then pour the hot cream into the caramel, being careful as the volume will increase rapidly. Let it come back to a boil for a few moments, then turn off the heat.
Serve the gluten-free pear and chocolate tarte-tatin with the caramel sauce while both are still warm.
