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Tarte Tatin, the iconic French caramelized apple tart, is a dessert that captures the essence of rustic elegance. This upside down tart features tender apples, slow cooked in a buttery caramel, topped with a crisp, flaky pastry crust.
Served warm, with its golden caramel oozing over the sides, Tarte Tatin is a dessert that invites indulgence and comfort. While its flavours are simple, its combination of caramelized apples and buttery pastry creates an irresistible dessert that has earned a beloved place in French culinary tradition.
What Is Tarte Tatin?
Tarte Tatin is a French dessert that stands out for its unique preparation, it’s baked upside down. The base is made by caramelizing apples in sugar and butter, then covering them with a sheet of puff pastry before baking.
Once the pastry is golden and crisp, the tart is flipped over, revealing perfectly caramelized apples that glisten in a rich, amber coloured sauce.
The beauty of Tarte Tatin lies in this contrast of textures: the softness of the apples, cooked just enough to hold their shape, and the crispness of the pastry, all brought together by the deep, sweet notes of caramel.
The tart is typically made with firm, tart apples like Granny Smiths, which hold up well during cooking and balance the sweetness of the caramel. Tarte Tatin is best served warm, often with a dollop of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, adding a cool, creamy element to the rich, sweet tart.
Ingredients and Taste
The ingredients for Tarte Tatin are simple, yet they create a complex flavour profile. The star of the show is, of course, the apples. Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Golden Delicious varieties are often used because of their firmness and slight tartness, which complement the sweetness of the caramel.
The apples are cooked in a mixture of butter and sugar, which melts down into a luscious, golden caramel.
The puff pastry that tops the apples adds a buttery, flaky contrast to the soft caramelized fruit. As the tart bakes, the pastry absorbs some of the caramel, becoming slightly sweet but remaining crisp.
This marriage of sweet, tender apples and the buttery crispness of the pastry is what makes Tarte Tatin so irresistible. Each bite offers a combination of flavours: the deep, almost smoky richness of the caramel, the slight tang of the apples, and the flaky, buttery finish of the pastry.
A Taste of History
Tarte Tatin’s origins are rooted in an accidental discovery, which is perhaps what makes it all the more charming. The dessert is named after the Tatin sisters, who ran a small hotel in the town of Lamotte-Beuvron in the late 19th century.
According to legend, one of the sisters, Stéphanie, was making a traditional apple tart but accidentally left the apples cooking in butter and sugar for too long. In a rush to save the dish, she placed pastry over the apples and put it in the oven. After flipping it out, she discovered a delicious new variation, and Tarte Tatin was born.
The tart quickly gained popularity, especially after being introduced in Paris, where it was embraced as a delightful twist on a classic apple tart. What began as a happy accident became one of France’s most beloved desserts, celebrated for its simple ingredients and rustic appeal.
Tarte Tatin (Caramelized Apple Tart) Recipe
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
- 4-5 medium apples (Granny Smith or Golden Delicious)
- 100g unsalted butter
- 150g granulated sugar
- 1 sheet of puff pastry (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Directions
To begin, preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Set them aside in a large bowl. This will allow them to stay fresh while you prepare the caramel.
In an oven safe skillet (about 9-10 inches in diameter), melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the butter and cook until the sugar dissolves and begins to caramelize, turning a light amber colour. Stir occasionally, but be careful not to let the caramel burn. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
Once the caramel reaches a deep golden colour, carefully arrange the apple quarters in the skillet, making sure to place them tightly together. Let the apples cook in the caramel for 10 minutes, gently turning them once halfway through to coat them evenly in the caramel. This step enhances the flavour and texture of the apples.
Remove the skillet from heat. Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to the caramelized apples, swirling the skillet slightly to distribute the flavour. Be cautious as the vanilla may cause the caramel to bubble.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry slightly to ensure it will cover the entire skillet. Carefully drape the pastry over the apples, tucking the edges down around the apples inside the skillet. This ensures the pastry will cradle the apples and absorb the caramel.
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and crisp. The pastry should puff up slightly as it bakes, creating a beautiful texture that contrasts with the soft, caramelized apples.
Once baked, remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the skillet to loosen the pastry. To flip the tart, place a large serving plate over the skillet, then quickly and carefully invert the skillet onto the plate. The caramelized apples should now be on top.
Serve the Tarte Tatin warm, either on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche. The contrast between the warm caramelized apples and the buttery pastry with the cold cream enhances the eating experience. Garnish with a few mint leaves or a dusting of powdered sugar for a final elegant touch.
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