About This Recipe

Tarte Tatin is one of the greatest French desserts and one of the most dramatic preparations in home baking. The apples are cooked directly in butter and sugar in an ovenproof pan until deeply caramelised, a pastry circle is laid over the top and baked until golden, and the whole thing is then inverted onto a serving plate to reveal the caramelised apple beneath. The moment of inversion, when the golden pastry disappears and the glossy, amber-lacquered apple slices emerge, is one of the most satisfying reveals in the kitchen.

The caramelisation of the apples in the pan is the step that determines whether the finished tart is magnificent or merely adequate. The butter and sugar must be cooked to a genuine golden caramel in the pan before the apples are added, and the apples must then be cooked in the caramel until they are tender and deeply coloured on the cut side. Pale, undercooked apples produce a tart without the characteristic caramel depth that defines the original.

The apples for tarte Tatin should be a firm variety that holds its shape during the extended cooking. Cox, Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Fuji all work well. Bramley apples, though excellent in a standard pie, cook too quickly and dissolve into the caramel rather than holding their shape. The apples should be halved or quartered, not sliced thinly, to maintain their structural integrity through the caramelisation and baking process.

History and Origins

Tarte Tatin was reportedly created by accident in the 1880s by Stephanie Tatin, one of two sisters who ran the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. According to the most popular account, she left apples cooking in butter and sugar too long, placed a pastry circle over the caramelised apples to salvage the dish, and inverted it onto a plate when the tart was done. Whether this story is entirely true or embellished by subsequent telling, the dish named for her has become one of the most celebrated preparations in French regional cooking.

Why It Is Good For You

Apples provide pectin, vitamin C, and quercetin with antioxidant and cardiovascular benefits. The butter in the caramel provides fat-soluble vitamins. This is an indulgent dessert but its apple content provides genuine nutritional value.

Tarte Tatin

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Pie u0026amp; Tart

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

2520

kcal

Ingredients

• •t375g ready-made puff pastry or shortcrust pastry

• •t1.2kg firm apples peeled cored and halved

• •t150g white sugar

• •t80g unsalted butter cut into pieces

• •t1 tsp vanilla extract

• •tPinch of salt

• •tCreme fraiche or vanilla ice cream to serve

Directions

• Preheat oven to 200C.
• In a 25cm ovenproof frying pan cook sugar over medium heat without stirring until it turns golden amber.
• Remove from heat. Add butter pieces and stir carefully until melted.
• Add vanilla and salt. Arrange apple halves tightly in the caramel, cut side up.
• Cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until apples begin to colour on the bottom.
• Roll pastry into a circle slightly larger than the pan. Lay over the apples, tucking edges in.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until pastry is deeply golden.
• Rest for 5 minutes then invert carefully onto a serving plate. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Do not stir the sugar while it caramelises. Swirl the pan gently if needed to distribute heat but do not stir.
  The 5 minute rest before inverting allows the caramel to thicken slightly so it coats the apples when inverted.
  Invert in one confident motion. A hesitant inversion allows the caramel to pool on the pastry side.
  Have a wide plate or board ready before inverting. The caramel is very hot and extremely sticky.

Make Ahead Tips

The tarte Tatin is best served immediately after inverting. The pastry softens over time. The apple and caramel base can be prepared to the point of adding pastry up to 24 hours ahead, refrigerated, then topped with pastry and baked fresh.

Storage and Serving

Best eaten immediately after inverting. Keeps at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours and reheat in a 180C oven for 10 minutes before inverting again. Serve with cold creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream as the contrast with the warm tart is essential.

Variations and Substitutions

Replace apples with pears for a pear Tatin. Use quince when in season for an extraordinary, fragrant result. Add a tablespoon of calvados or rum to the caramel. Make a savoury Tatin with caramelised shallots and goat cheese on a shortcrust base.

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