Mango Tarte Tatin with Spiced Syrup

For the Mango Tartes Tatins:

• 4-5 ripe Mangoes
• 2 (10 x 10 inches) sheets ready-to-bake Puff Pastry
• 8 Teaspoons Sugar
• 8 Teaspoons Grated Lemon Zest
• 8 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
• 3 Tablespoons Butter (cut into small chunks)

For the Spiced Syrup:

• 1 cup Sugar
• ⅓ cup Water
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cinnamon Stick (broken into pieces)
• 2 whole Cloves
• 1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• 3 whole Cardamom Seeds, cracked
• 2 inch piece of fresh Ginger (sliced into thin pieces)
• The rind of 1 Lemon
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

To make the Mango Tartes Tatins:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
2. Thaw the puff pastry sheets if frozen.
3. Peel and slice the mangoes.
4. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest on the base of each pie or tart pans. (I used small pans about 4 inches in diameter.
5. Start arranging your mango slices on top of the sugar. (Remember your bottom will be your top when the tarts are served.) You can make rosettes or other simpler patterns.

6. Dot mango slices with a few little chunks of butter and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
7. On a lightly floured surface, cut each puff pastry sheet with a 4-inch cookie cutter into four discs.
8. Cover each pan with a puff pastry disc, tucking in edges if necessary.

9. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until puff pastry is puffed and golden. Stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
10. You can serve the tarts warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or cold with the spiced syrup.

To make the Spiced Syrup:
1. Place all ingredients, except for the butter, in a small saucepan.
2. Heat on medium, stirring periodically.
3. Continue boiling until mixture is bubbly, slightly thickened and light amber in color (about 6-7 minutes).
4. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Mixture will bubble vigorously – be careful!
5. Return to the heat and stir until butter is well incorporated and syrup takes on a deeper color (about 2 more minutes).
6. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before straining the syrup. Discard solids. Serve with mango tarts.

Notes on Preparation and Cooking:
To serve cold the next day, it’s best to refrigerate these tarts in the pans they were baked in, with the puff pastry still sitting on top. This will keep the pastry crisp. If syrup hardens, warm briefly to thin it before serving.