When I think of England I think of clotted cream teas, rainy weather and apple cider. I think of pork sausages, Wetherly’s butterscotch sweets and Thorntons chocolate. I can taste fresh pears and strawberries and the beautiful locally produced cheeses. I can imagine the starkness of Dartmoor, and the wild sea at Land’s End. I remember shopping at Riverford Organic Farm and freshly caught crab from Devon. I conjure up images of times long ago when I stand in the shadow of Stonehenge, and explore the many castles and ruins dotted around the land. So when tasked to 
by Yuppiechef I had to think beyond the weather, and come up with something that would make the Duchess of Cambridge proud to serve at her table. Knowing she had chosen Le Creuset as part of her bridal registry, I decided to make something from my tatin recipe book. I have combined two of their recipes, and it is the adaption I have listed below. For the original recipes, you will have to buy a tatin dish – and if you are not so sure about whether you need one, read my review here.
© pear and butterscotch middleton tart
PEAR AND BUTTERSCOTCH MIDDLETON TART
ingredients:
125g sugar
50g unsalted butter
125ml thick cream
4 – 5 pears, cored
175g short crust pastry
method:
preheat the oven to 200° Celsius
roll the pastry out so that it is slightly larger than your dish
put the sugar into the tatin dish and place over a medium heat
allow the sugar to dissolve and stir once
let the sugar turn a golden caramel colour – do not take your eyes off it!
remove the dish from the heat and add the butter
gradually stir in the cream until thoroughly mixed
allow to cool for 10 minutes
slice the pears into eighths and blanche
place the pears in the caramel, packing them tightly together
immediately cover with the pastry
tuck the pastry loosely around the pears so that it forms a good base for the tart
make a few vent holes and then bake for 20 minutes
allow to cool for 10 minutes before loosening around the edges
invert onto a large serving plate
serve with whipped cream
Tandy
