October 11, 2013
Apple Tarte Tatin is a delectable and totally classic French dessert. Here, it’s put together simply to make it easier to execute without sacrificing any of those stellar flavors. A few choice ingredients is all you need to create a gorgeous dessert that brings the essence of fall to the table in a simple and sophisticated way.
Pink Lady apples are my favorite. They have a great combination of sweet and tart flavors that cook-up beautifully, maintaining their texture. It can be intimidating to deal with crystallizing sugar— so I worked (and re-worked!) to find a foolproof way to make this caramel with ease. A big thank you to my pastry partner in crime, Elizabeth Colling, for helping me figure out the best method.
I discovered White Toque puff pastry when running into a friend in the freezer section of Whole Foods; she was loading it in her cart and said, “I love this puff pastry.” The ingredients are clean and pure- just butter, flour, salt… and it’s round, so there is no trimming needed—how easy is that? You get two in that box, so it’s a total timesaver and makes this showstopper dessert possible without me losing a whole Saturday to the process. This can be served both warm or at room temperature (giving you the option to make it hours in advance) and is lovely served with dollop of crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream.
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
¾ cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons room temperature butter, divided
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed and cut into about 11” round
First, peel and quarter the apples. Cut the core out at an angle of each of the quarters. Place the apples in a bowl and toss with lemon juice, mixing to cover all the pieces. This is really just to prevent browning.
In a 10” ovenproof skillet, smear three tablespoons of the softened butter swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour the sugar over the butter and shake the pan a little to ensure even distribution. Place skillet on the stove over medium heat and cook until sugar is lightly golden, swirling occasionally (do not stir), about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the skillet from heat. Arrange apples roune side down on top of the caramel mixture. Start on the outside and work towards the center. Make it pretty, the bottom will become the top of the tart. Place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. In the center hole, place two pieces of apple slightly overlapping each other. You most likely will have extra apple pieces. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes or until the caramel will darkens in color. The apples will shrink as their juices are released, as space opens up, add-in the remaining apple quarters.
Next, place the thawed puff pastry over the apples and tuck the ends down the side of the pan. Prick the dough using a fork (this doesn’t have to be perfect, but be careful because the pan is hot).
Using oven mitts, transfer the whole skillet in the oven and bake for until the caramel is bubbling at the sides, about 35 minutes. You are looking for a nice golden brown color on the crust. Remove from oven and let it cool in the skillet for about 10 – 15 minutes. Then, carefully—those juices are hot—invert a heat proof serving plate ver the tart. Using oven mitts, firmly grasp the platter and the ssides of the skillet together an flip over in one quick motion. Cool slightly or up to 2 hours.
