Apple tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert that is great for any occasion. The apples are cooked and coated in a wonderful caramel like syrup. The only problem with the recipe is that there just isn’t enough!
Apples and puff pastry seem to be a match made in heaven. I learned to make this dish because this is one of my father’s favorite dishes and one that he would request from me. There is a cool wow factor if you are making this for a group of people at home. When you flip the tarte onto a plate or platter.Â
In this recipe
This recipe calls for about 1/4 of my puff pastry recipe. However you can use store bought puff pastry if in a pinch. Only one sheet is needed and it is important to let it thaw before rolling. If it has thawed before the apple are ready then place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to roll. This will preserve the lamination.Â
In order to get the caramel like sauce you will need to cook the brown sugar and butter until the sugar starts to dissolve. It will not be caramel like you are expecting to taste as that is just melted sugar. The butter diminishes that ability for the sugar because it will burn before reaching the proper temperature.Â
Most recipes you will for apple tarte Tatin will say cut the apples in half. I find those portions to be too big unless you are working with really little apples. If they are on the larger side like some Honeycrisp apples can get cut them into quarters like the recipe. It makes is easy to line them up better in the pan before baking. Check out my apple pie recipe for ideas for great apples to use for baking.Â
The cool thing about this dish is that it only uses one pan. However I recommend that two pans are used since the apples take a little time to shrink to fit. The other reason for this is being able to place the apples in a cool pan. This makes arranging the apples much easier. Additionally by putting the outside of the apple down because the pat touching the pa is going to be visible at the end.
Classic Apple Tarte Tatin
Equipment
- 10 inch sauté pan
- Potato peeler
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds apples peeled, quartered
- ½ pound puff pastry
- â…” cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt kosher
Instructions
- Using the potato peeler peel and quarter apples. Remove the core.
- In a sauté pan on medium high heat melt butter and sugar. Add the lemon juice, salt and vanilla. Then add the apples. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce reduces by half.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F or gas mark 5. Roll out the puff pastry to make circle 11 inches in diameter.
- If using 2 pans grease the second pan liberally. Take a fork to move the apple quarters from one pan to the next and arrange with the outer edge of the apples touching the pan. Working from the outside in overlap the apples until all fit. Cover with the puff pastry and tuck the edges down the side of the pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
- Allow to cool for at 45 minutes this will allow he sauce the cool and thicken. Cover with a plate or platter and invert the pan toe release the tarte Tatin. If any apples stick place them back on the tarte.
