Mulled Wine Tarte Tatin

This dessert feels like winter in its most elegant form. Pears are gently simmered in spiced red wine until tender and deeply aromatic, then folded into a glossy caramel and baked beneath a blanket of puff pastry. Once inverted, the result is dramatic, fragrant, and unapologetically indulgent, sweet, spiced, and perfectly balanced. It’s the kind of dessert that looks restaurant-worthy but is rooted in simple techniques and patience, best served warm with vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of mulled wine caramel.

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

8-9 pears

1 bottle of Shiraz

½ cup pure cane sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp allspice

1 star anise

1 orange, halved

Mulled Wine Caramel:

¾ cup granulated sugar 

¼ cup butter 

2 tablespoons reduced mulled wine

1 sheet puff pastry 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron pan with butter.

2. Pour one bottle of Shiraz red wine into a large pot, followed by the sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise. Squeeze the juice from the orange and add it to the pot.

3. Bring the wine and mulling spices to a boil on medium/high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and add the pears. 

4. Create a cartouche by folding up a sheet of parchment paper, holding the point in the center, and cutting the end of the paper to about where it would stop in the pot and place directly on top of the pears to keep them submerged. 

5. Simmer the pears for 10 minutes before flipping the pears and simmering another 10 minutes.

6. Remove pears with a slotted spoon and place in a colander, and set them aside, allowing them to drain.

7. Butter a 12” cast-iron pan and set aside. 

8. Remove orange slices and mulling spices from the wine and increase the heat to medium-high. Continue simmering; you want to reduce the wine to about half. The liquid should be thick and syrupy.  (Keep an eye on the wine because once it starts to reduce, it can easily burn). 

9. Once finished, remove from the heat and set aside.

Now for the caramel: 

1. In a large saute pan, add ¾ cup sugar in an even layer. Heat the pan over medium heat and melt the sugar, continuing to cook until you see a brown, syrupy consistency.

2. Turn the heat to low and stir in the butter until well combined before adding 2 tablespoons of reserved reduced mulled wine, stirring to combine. 

3. Return the pan to medium heat and add the pears, gently stirring the pears to coat in the caramel. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Transfer the pears to the buttered cast-iron pan with the cut side facing up. Drizzle ¼ cup of the caramel sauce on top, reserving the remaining sauce for serving. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Assemble:

1. Meanwhile, dust your counter with flour and roll out the puff pastry. 

2. Place puff pastry on top of the pears, tucking in the edges. Use a sharp knife to cut 3 slits in the puff pastry.

3. Bake the mulled wine pear tarte tatin for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.

4. Place a plate directly on top of the tart and, with one hand firmly securing the plate, carefully tip the skillet, inverting the pastry. 

If any pears moved, rearrange them on the tart. Serve tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream and leftover mulled wine caramel.