Thank you to California Grown for encouraging me to connect with California growers and encouraging California consumers to “Choose California Grown” when they can.

Thanksgiving was extra special for us this year since Hubby’s parents were experiencing their first Thanksgiving ever, so of course, we went all out with an extravagant tablescape, traditional menu, and simple-yet-sensational desserts. Hubby was in charge of the turkey and sides and I kept to the decor and desserts. Of course, I went for individual ramekins of warm Apple Crisp (my favorite) and also made my Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. But I wanted to make something that would really make my in-laws feel like they were experiencing a true Californian Thanksgiving.

Luckily, I had the most gorgeous Seckel, Bosc and Taylor’s Gold pears from our state’s nearby capitol to incorporate into our dessert menu.

The Caramelized Upside Down Pear Tarte Tatin I baked with the Bosc pears turned out to be the highlight of our meal. We ended up using more of the Bosc pears with our pork chop dinner the next day and some of the Taylor’s Gold in turkey, brie + pear sandwiches all weekend-long. The Seckels are Sam’s favorite. They fit right into his chubby little palm and they’re so soft and juicy, he even eats the core and stem!

Next up is a Pear and Cranberry Crostata with the Taylor’s Golds - that is, if we have any left!

The best thing about having these pears to share over the holiday was knowing that we were enjoying fresh, local produce that wasn’t being shipped from across the globe, wasting unnecessary fuel and shipping resources. And why would we, knowing that the best of the best is right here in our backyard. Plus, I love supporting our local economy, especially since they support sustainable farming. Even though I was shipped this lovely fruit directly from the grower so I know it was California grown, you can always ask your grocer if you don’t see a California Grown label on the produce you’re shopping for.

Caramelized Upside Down Pear Tarte Tatin

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 firm but ripe Bosc pears (2 lbs), peeled, halved & cored
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pastry dough

Equipment

• 9-10 inch ovenproof nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet

Recipe

(Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook)

1. Heat butter in skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides.
2. Stir in sugar.
3. Arrange pears cut sides up and wider ends out in skillet.
4. Sprinkle pears with cinnamon.
5. Let pears sit and cook, without stirring, until sugar becomes a deep golden caramel (15-25 minutes).
6. Remove skillet from stove and let pears cool completely.
7. Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 9.5-10.5 inch round.
8. Place the pastry dough over the pears in skillet and tuck the edges around the pears.
9. Bake at 425 for about 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
10. Let skillet stand for 5 minutes before inverting the tart onto a rimmed serving plate slightly larger than the skillet. Don’t forget to use oven mitts, the skillet will be piping hot!
11. Optional: serve with whipped cream. (I do not mean cream out of a can or tub, but heavy whipping cream whipped stiff by hand using a whisk or with an electric hand mixer!).

If you need more pear recipe ideas, check here and definitely here.

Happy Baking!

Thank you again to California Grown for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about all of California Grown growers. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #CleverCAGrown #spon

Disclaimer: Even though this is a sponsored post, which means that I received compensation - including free pears! - for writing this post, it does not mean that I was told what to write by the sponsor(s) nor does it mean that the sponsor(s) wrote this post and I merely copied it onto my blog (except for the header and footer to the post). The content of this post was created entirely by me and consists solely of my own unbiased opinions and/or thoughts, but I’m sure you could tell!

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Chrissy – who has written 426 posts on The Outlaw Mom® Blog - Creative Living in a Conventional World.

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