Poaching liquid:
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
1/2 vanilla bean
zest of 1 lemon, cut into fine strips
1 quart water
5 pears

Tart:
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons calvados
1 pound puff pastry

Poaching Pears:
Combine sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, vanilla bean, lemon zest and water. Simmer 10 minutes.

Add fruit, which has been peeled, halved and cored. Bring syrup back to simmer and cook fruit gently for about 12 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Remove pan from heat. Transfer fruit to a strainer and allow to cool thoroughly.

For Tart:
Pour sugar and water into a 10-inch cast iron frying pan. Set over medium heat and cook, watching closely, until sugar syrup becomes golden brown. Remove immediately from heat and set on cool surface. The caramelized sugar will harden.

Place 1 pear half, rounded side down, on the caramelized sugar in the center of the pan. Surround with the remaining halves, placing them close together.

Melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in lemon juice, nutmeg and calvados, and drizzle over pears.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out puff pastry and cut out a round 12 inches in diameter. Place over pears an roll edges back 1 inch all around to give a finished appearance. Place tart in preheated oven. (Preheating is important because oven must be hot.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until pastry is deep golden brown and juice is bubbly around the edges.

When tart is done, remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature. This is especially delicious with caramel or rich vanilla ice cream. Not suitable for freezing. Serves 8.

1 pound dried apricots (run thorough meat grinder or food processor)
juice and grated rind of 1 orange
1 1/2 cups sugar
24 pecan halves
confectioners' sugar

Combine first three ingredients and cook in saucepan for 10 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Roll mixture around each pecan half. Then roll in powdered sugar. Suitable for freezing. Serves 24.