Caramelized Pear Tart

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 200 g flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 200 g butter, cold
• 200 g cream cheese
• 1.4 kg pear(s), firm, e.g. Abate
• 125 g sugar
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 3 tbsp butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours

Mix the flour and salt. Finely dice the butter and spread the quark (drain off or squeeze out any liquid) evenly over the top. Chop all ingredients finely with a knife and then knead into a smooth dough with your hands. Wrap in foil and chill for at least 2 hours. Peel, core, and quarter the pears. Spread the sugar evenly on the bottom of a non-stick baking dish (28 cm). Melt in the lower part of an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius and allow to caramelize. The sugar will turn light brown. Place the pear quarters close together on the caramelized sugar. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar and butter flakes. Bake in the lower part of the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes until just tender (test with a fork). Then let cool slightly. In the meantime, roll out the dough into a round shape, about 3 cm larger than the baking dish. Place the dough sheet on top of the pears, loosely tucking the overhanging edge between the baking dish and the pears. Bake in the lower part of the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes. Let the tart cool slightly, then turn it upside down. The top will then serve as the base, and the cake will be beautifully coated with a little caramel. It tastes best warm with semi-whipped cream. Can also be served as a dessert. Be careful not to leave too much liquid in the pan after the pears have cooked; skim off about 4 tablespoons if necessary. Otherwise, the caramel layer will dissolve. You can use a special tart pan or a regular springform pan.