Pear, apple and goat's cheese tarte tatin recipe

The new: vegetarian pear, apple and goat's cheese tarte tatin recipe

By Alice Hart

Serves four to six

 

This is also fabulous made with all pears or all apples. Serve with a green salad. You’ll need a sturdy 25cm (10in) tatin dish or ovenproof frying-pan.

For the pastry
100g (3½oz) butter
200g (7oz) plain flour
100g (3½oz) vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, finely grated
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp thyme leaves

For the topping
75g (2¾oz) soft light-brown sugar
50g (1¾oz) butter, cubed
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp thyme leaves
3 ripe but firm pears, peeled, quartered and cored
3 dessert apples, such as Braeburn, peeled, quartered and cored
50g (1¾oz) hard goat’s cheese, coarsely grated

Whizz the butter and flour in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Add a pinch of salt and the grated cheese and blend for a few seconds. Follow with the egg and thyme and blitz again until it just comes together into a ball. Knead very briefly, shape into a disc and wrap in clingfilm. Chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Gently heat the sugar in the tatin tin or frying-pan until it turns to liquid, swirling occasionally to melt it evenly. When the caramel is golden, turn up the heat slightly and add the butter and vinegar, allowing the mixture to bubble for a minute. Remove from the heat.

Sprinkle the caramel with walnuts and thyme then carefully (it’s hot!) arrange the fruit on top, peeled-side down. Pack it in concentric circles. Top with the goat’s cheese.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a circle a bit larger than your pan. Using a rolling-pin to pick it up, cover the fruit with the pastry, tucking in the edges.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the caramel bubbling at the sides. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Using oven gloves, hold a plate (with a lip) tightly over the pan and flip the whole lot over. Remove the pan, pushing any dislodged fruit back into place if necessary. 

I have some pears and goat's cheese which need eating up so I'm going to try this out tonight. I can't imagine it won't be wonderful...

Flo's Sweet Basil Sweetcake

INGREDIENTS

Butter, for greasing the pan

1/2 cup (4oz) ricotta cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (4oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup (3 oz) goat cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
Pinch fine sea salt
 1/2 packed cup chopped fresh basil (& optional: add small amount of fresh tarragon)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

Serving suggestion: assorted crackers

Special equipment: 4 1/2-inch diameter spring-form pan, about 2 1/2 inches tall

DIRECTIONS

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 4 1/2-inch diameter springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Place the ricotta cheese, cream cheese and goat cheese in a food processor. Pulse until mixed. Add the sugar, egg, egg yolk and salt, and blend until smooth. Add the basil and pulse until incorporated. Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared pan. Place the pan in an 8-inch by 8-inch square baking dish. Pour enough hot water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden at the edges and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken (the cheesecake will become firm when chilled), about 50 minutes.

Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the springform pan from the baking dish and remove the foil. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature before serving, about 30 minutes.

Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the cheesecake with extra-virgin olive oil and serve with assorted crackers. Alternative: serve with tomato chutney and crackers.