Apple Tarte Tatin

This recipe is flakey, bake-ey, saucey, glossy, caramel-ey, tasty but most of all easy!

It's a French classic, easier than apple pie and I dare say better! Apple Tarte Tatin is essentially an upside down tart made of puff pastry in which the fruit (usually apples) is caramelised in butter and sugar before being baked in the oven with puff pastry on top. It was named after Hotel Tatin, in the Loire Valley where it was believed to have been invented and the signature dish of the hotel. 

It takes 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook, the hardest part of this recipe is peeling and coring the apples. 

Make it once and you'll want to make it over and over again, wishing you had more apples in the house. 

It is best served straight out of the oven, cut into slices like a pizza and with creamy vanilla ice cream.

Serves: 8 
Ingredients: 7 
Cooking Time: 1hr
Skill Level: Easy 

Ingredients

• 5 apples
• 150g butter
• 150g sugar
• 50g brown sugar
• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 4 star anise
• 2 shots of dark liquor. Traditionally Calvados (French apple liquer) is used but I substituted for what I had at home - Amaretto and Whiskey. You can also use a dark rum, scotch, bourbon too.

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees celcius
2. Prepare your apples by cutting the tops and bottoms so that the apples are more uniform and then peel the skin off. 
3. Whilst preparing your apples, place them in a bowl of water with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. This prevents the apples from browning and oxidising. 
4. Once the apples are peeled, you need to remove the core. The easiest way to do this is using a melon baller to scoop out the core which is more efficient and leaves more of the apple. I didn't have a melon baller, so I improvised with a teaspoon measuring spoon. then slice them in half.
5. In an oven-friendly pan add your butter, sugar, star anise and a pinch of cracked pepper. Place on the heat and dissolve. The pan needs to be as close to the same size as your pastry, and not have any plastic handles as you'll be putting this one into the oven.
6. Once it has all dissolved, is bubbling and starting to caramelise, add in your apples to the pan. Apples should be drained before adding in.
7. Use a spoon to baste the caramel over the apples and cook for a few minutes. When the caramel turns a light golden colour it's time to remove them. 
8. Place the apples and star anise onto a tray whilst you finish the caramel.
9. Place the caramel back on high heat and add your 2 shots of liquor. Cook for a few minutes until the caramel turns into a darker golden colour.
10. Turn off the heat and place your apples into the pan. I like to put mind in core side up so that you get maximum surface area for caramelisation.
11. Take your puff pastry sheet and wrap it around a rolling pin or a bottle of wine. This will help you unwrap the pastry easily over the pan. Then roll the puff pastry over your pan
12. Then, roughly tuck the edges of the pastry under, like you're tucking someone into bed
13. Bake at 220 degrees celcius for 45 minutes and until the pastry is a golden brown colour
14. Place a plate on top of your pan and in one swift move, flip the tarte tatin over to reveal the apple side of the tart.

It is best served straight out of the oven, cut into slices like a pizza and with creamy vanilla ice cream.

Once you've mastered this recipe, you can try my tropical twist on this classic - Pineapple & Passionfruit Tarte Tatin!