Individual pear tartes tatin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

2. For the tartes tatin:, peel the pears, halve them lengthways and scoop out the cores using a melon baller, to create a small round hole. Press a star anise into each hole.

3. Use a small, sharp knife to cut out the stalks and insert a piece of vanilla pod into each incision to form a vanilla ‘stalk’.

4. Roll out the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface to a large sheet about 3mm thick and cut the dough into 4 evenly sized pieces.

5. Mould each piece of pastry around the peeled outer side of each pear to form a pastry ‘blanket’, leaving the cut-side of the pear exposed. Trim away any excess pastry and place the pears in the fridge, cut-side down, to chill for 10 minutes.

6. For the caramel: while the pears are chilling, melt the sugar and butter together in a large heavy-based ovenproof frying pan then pour in a splash of rum and swirl around to loosen the caramel.

7. Remove the pears from the fridge and place them cut-side down on top of the caramel in the pan. Generously dust the pastry with icing sugar then transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden.

8. Leave to stand for a minute or so, then carefully slide a palette knife under each pear and flip it over onto a warm serving plate, pastry-side down.

9. Drizzle over the caramelised pan juices and serve with scoops of vanilla ice-cream.