Pomme de Tarte Tatin

We were recently invited to a friend’s home for dinner so I offered to make dessert. When I was perusing the net, looking for a tasty fruit dessert, I came across Tarte Tatin and realized that I had never made it for the blog! Fortunately, I had package of puff pastry in the freezer so I was halfway there, a quick trip to buy apples and I was done!

Don’t be intimidated by having to make caramel, it’s very easy. You just need patience and concentration, never turn your back on it because that is when it will burn!

Simple Tarte Tatin

For the original recipe, please click here.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 large, firm-fleshed apples, we used Gala
• 100 grams granulated sugar
• 75 grams butter, cubed
• pinch of cinnamon
• 30 mL cognac
• pinch of salt
• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, about 250 g (store-bought is fine), defrosted in the refrigerator

Directions:

1. A day or so before you wish to serve this dessert, peel the apples, core and quarter them. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice and add to a large bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and store in the refrigerator to allow to dehydrate a bit.
2. In a cast iron or non-stick pan, add the sugar and cook over medium-low heat until caramelized. DO NOT STIR but you may swish the sugar in the pan as it begins to turn golden to cook more evenly.
3. Add the butter and swirl until melted and combined with the sugar, add the pinch of cinnamon salt and the cognac and continue to swirl to combine.
4. Turn the heat to low and add the apples in a circular pattern keeping in mind that the part you can see is actually the bottom of the tarte.
5. Cook the apples for about 8 minutes on medium-low. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375° F.
6. While the apples are cooking stove-top, untouched, cut the defrosted pastry in a slightly larger circle than the pan and put into the freezer for 5 minutes.
7. Remove the pan with the apples from the heat, and top with the pastry, tucking in the sides all the way around.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.
9. Turn out, upside-down onto a serving platter and serve warm.

The caramel soaks into the puff pastry making a delicious crust and soft apples!

I made a little-grilled peach tarte Tatin with the leftover puff pastry, waste not, want not.