Help! Impressive pud to take to friends' dinner party...

[YoniOno]

... I only just remembered we're meant to be bringing pudding, which means going out tomorrow morning to get ingredients and making it during DS' nap [panic]

Any fail safe, idiot proof stunners?

Anyone offer up a foolproof tarte tatin recipe? Really fancy making one.

Heh heh! This thread is now reminding me of when Dh was trying to impress me with his cooking when we were first together.

I went round to his flat one night and he served me a fairly decent chicken and mushroom risotto, followed by

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rice pudding!

We still chortle at that one now

P.S. I didn't think LucJam's post was in the slightest bit rude. It is interesting how we read things, isn't it?

I like the idea of a tarte tatin, I've got lots of puff pastry in the freezer already, but it does feel like it should be an autumn-y type pud... when apples are at their best.

Could I do a rhubarb tarte tatin?

Reckon you could HF.

It would need to be really sweet... need the caramelisation.

Do you think I could cook tarte tatin the night before? I've got to cook it at my house and take it to my sister's so thought I might do it on Saturday night.

The pastry might get a bit soggy if you do it the night before - I've got a fairly easy recipe for a pear tatin I'll see if I can look out - should be fairly transferable.

yeah, thought so about soggyness. Not good. Mind you, a tarte tatin doesn't take that long, I could probably do it Sunday morning.

This is from an Irish hotel (The Cliff House in Waterford) we visited once - the chef had a cook-book out, so I bought one.

You could prep the rhubarb at home and then it's just a matter of chucking the pastry on and into the oven about 15 mins or so before you want to eat it.

Ingredients:
1 sheet of puff pastry
5 medium sized pears, peeled, cored & quartered
200g sugar mixed with seeds of 1/2 a vanilla pod, and 1/2tsp each of ground nutmeg & cardamom (probably would double this if using rhubarb)
50g butter
70ml water
zest of 1 lemon (you won't need that with the rhubarb!)
Non-stick, oven-proof 24cm frying pan

Pre-heat oven to 175C
Add the sugar mix and water to the pan
Dissolve on a medium heat and then let it come to the point of caramelisation
Add the butter and the pears and soften them slowly on a low heat, turning so they are cooked on both sides
Finish with pears round side down and evenly arranges
Cover with the pastry and press and mould it tight
Bake until crust is light brown and crisp
Remove from oven and place serving dish on top of the pan/pie
Turn it out
Cut and serve with vanilla ice cream and a glass of Baileys.

Final update: everyone loved the tiramisu! It was demolished and much praised.

I swear some people on MN just look for arguments... it's a pudding thread ffs