From our archives: Ten days of Thanksgiving recipes.

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From our archives: Ten days of Thanksgiving recipes.

Posted by: Rick Nelson under Holidays, Recipes Updated: November 23, 2009 - 3:20 PM

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Pears make for a beautiful, seasonal tarte tatin, cranberries add a Thanksgiving touch. Star Tribune file photo.

Bread bakers know the name Zoe Francois due to her two-cookbook collaboration with co-author Jeff Hertzberg: "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" and "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day." But before she was a best-selling cookbook author, Francois was a Twin Cities pastry chef. Back when she was making delicious desserts for the the Local and Kieran's Irish Pub in downtown Minneapolis, Taste asked her to share a festive, easy-to-prepare holiday dessert. Here's what we wrote:

"We do this recipe at the restaurants a lot," said Francois, "and it's great because it's very transferable to other seasons. In the spring we do it with peaches, in the summer we do it with plums. You can replace the cranberries with other fresh berries." (For apples, Francois recommends using a hearty cooking apple: Prairie Spy, Braeburn or Cortland.)

She also likes the tart because the caramel enhances the fruits' natural juices, resulting in a richer dessert than a standard fruit pie. And it's easy to prepare, too.

"You can caramelize the pears ahead of time, keep them at room temperature and when you're ready for dessert you can throw on the puff pastry and bake it."

THANKSGIVING PEAR TARTE TATIN

Makes 8 servings.

Note: From Zoe Francois at the Local. The size of the skillet is important; it must be slightly smaller than the circle of pastry.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry ( 1/2 of a 17 1/4-oz. pkg.), thawed

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

4 tbsp. whiskey, optional

8 large (Bosc or Comice) pears, peeled, cored and halved (if Seckel pears, use 12)

1 c. fresh cranberries

1 tsp. orange zest

Ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll puff pastry so it is large enough to cut out a 10-inch circle. Place a 10-inch cake or tart pan over pastry and cut out a circle. In an 8- or 9-inch oven-safe iron skillet over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together; add cinnamon sticks, and whiskey if using. Stir to combine and allow mixture to boil. Arrange pears, cored side up, in decorative arrangement over the caramel (pears will shrink while cooking, so pack tightly). Reduce heat to low and cook about 15 minutes, with the skillet loosely covered. Sprinkle cranberries and orange zest over pears. Uncover and continue to cook over low heat until the caramel thickens and is reduced by half. Remove skillet from heat and place puff pastry over the pears, tucking the excess in the sides. Do not trim excess. Bake the tart for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until the puff pastry is golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool 5 to 10 minutes, then invert skillet quickly and carefully onto a serving dish slightly larger than the skillet. Remove cinnamon sticks. Serve warm with ice cream.

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From our archives: Ten days of Thanksgiving recipes.

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From our archives: Ten days of Thanksgiving recipes.

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