Tarte Tatin is an inverted pastry engulfed with caramelized apples and often served with a dollop of creme fraiche. This pastry was created back in the 1880’s at the Hotel Tatin, just 100 miles south of Paris, France. Tarte Tatin has similar ingredients to the American Apple Pie, but it is much easier to prepare because you only need one crust and the apples are sliced into halves or thirds, instead of smaller pieces.
Tarte Tatin can be made with any type of apple, but firmer apples such as Granny Smith, Honey Crisp or Galas make the best pies. In this recipe I used a Tarte Tatin pan, but a large cast iron skillet is all you need. You can invert your tarte tatin on any large platter or plate and let it cool to room temperature before serving.
Tarte Tatin makes a great showpiece dessert for any holiday, especially Thanksgiving or Christmas. Give this recipe a try, instead of the your standard apple pie this season, your guests will love you for it!
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter, cold
1/3 cup ice water
Filling
6 large apples
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
creme fraiche, sour cream or ice cream, optional
(Serves 8)
To Prepare:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make the crust, in a stand mixer combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Dice up the cold butter and add it to the flour mixture. Mix again on low speed for 2 minutes, or until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles.
2. Start pouring the 1/3 cup ice water into the flour mixture, straining any ice cubes from the mix. Let the dough come together slightly in the bowl, but it doesn’t need to form a round ball completely. You don’t want to over work your dough.
3. Place the dough on top of a piece of plastic wrap and then wrap it up. Press the dough into a round disc and place it into the refrigerator to chill, while you peel your apples.
4. Peel and slice your apples in half and set aside while you make the caramel.
5. Place your pan over medium heat and add 1 cup of sugar. Spread the sugar out in the pan into a fine layer. Let your sugar cook for 3-5 minutes until it is a deep golden brown. You may need to rotate the pan around, so the sugar doesn’t burn in places. Do not stir the sugar, it may cease up.
6. Place the apples, round side down into the caramelized sugar. Sprinkle the apples with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
7. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the apples and dot with 4 tablespoons of butter.
8. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface.
9. Carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin and place it over the apples. Tuck the edges under inside of the pan around the apples. Work quickly, because the apples are warm and can heat up the crust fast.
10. Place the Tarte Tatin in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden brown. Remove the Tarte Tatin from the oven and let cool for only 5 minutes.
11. Loosen the edges with a knife and invert the Tarte Tatin onto a plate. Let cool to room temperature before slicing, about 1 hour. Serve the Tarte Tatin with creme fraiche or ice cream and Enjoy!
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