Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin

1 h
This thin, upside-down French apple cake with crunchy flavour is baked in a cast iron pan (or any pan that can withstand oven heat).
https://arlauk.cmsstage.com/recipes/tarte-tatin/

Instructions

  • Chop the flour and butter together until it forms a crumbly mass. Add the water and work the dough together quickly.
  • Roll it out into approximately the size of an ovenproof frying pan, about 25 cm in diameter. Leave to rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
  • Set the oven to 225°C.
  • Peel, core and slice the apples. Add the butter and sugar to the pan.
  • Heat it up while stirring. Add the apple wedges to the pan and pour over the lemon juice.
  • Remove the pan from the heat.
  • Place the dough over the apples and fold the edges of the dough inside the pan. Make a few air holes with a fork.
  • Bake in the lower part of the oven for about 30 minutes. Leave to cool.
  • Loosen the lid around the edge and tip the cake onto a plate.
Enjoy!

Tarte Tatin

What is special about Tarte Tatin?
Tarte Tatin is different from most apple pies and crumbles in that it’s cooked upside-down, preferably in a cast-iron pan. This way, the apples are cooked in direct contact with the pan in the oven, caramelising them in a unique way. And the caramelised apples really are the star in a Tarte Tatin, the crust almost an afterthought.
Should Tarte Tatin be served hot or cold?
Your Tarte Tatin is delicious served warm from the oven. Just make sure to let the toffee and apples cool enough not to scald anyone’s mouth. The tarte can also be served at room temperature. We do not recommend fridge-cold Tarte Tatin, however, as lower temperatures tend to subdue the rich flavours in this decadent dessert.
Why is my Tarte Tatin bitter?
If your tarte shows bitter, unpleasant notes, it’s likely that the caramel has stayed on the heat too long. It’s important to remove the caramel as soon as it reaches a light amber hue. Because the caramel or toffee keeps cooking on the residual heat of the pan, it can develop burnt, bitter flavours if left too long on the hob.

Ingredients

Base
Flour
120 g
Butter
75 g
Water
2 tbsp
Filling
Apples
4
Butter
75 g
Caster sugar
135 g
Lemon squeezed
½

A truly decadent French apple dessert

Caramelised apples and buttery crust come together in this striking apple dessert, cooked upside-down. Serve with custard or ice cream, as an enchanting ending to a dinner party or as an afternoon treat.

The origins of Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin is a French dessert whose history goes back to the turn of the 20th century and a small hotel in the rural town of Lamotte-Beuvron. The Tatin hotel was run by two sisters, Carolina and Stéphanie Tatin. Stéphanie, the elder sister, was famous for her apple pie. As legend has it, she made the mistake one day of placing an apple pie upside-down in the oven, deciding to serve it anyway to a hunting party. True or not – the Tatin way of making apple pie eventually became a classic of French cuisine.

The perfect pie for autumn

Tarte Tatin is the essence of comfort food, with its jammy apples, sticky toffee, and buttery crust. It’s perfect for weekend get-togethers in autumn, when apples are in season and a bit of extra warmth and richness is more than welcome. Serve with warm custard and a cup of tea or coffee for optimal autumn cosiness.

The best apples for a Tarte Tatin

The most important factor for Tarte Tatin apples is that they are firm enough to keep their shape in the heat of the pan. Among apples commonly found in supermarkets, this is true for Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, and Honeycrisp apples. A green apple like Granny Smith will add tanginess that can complement the sweetness in the tarte. If you are lucky enough to have access to freshly picked garden apples, it’s definitely worth trying them out in a Tarte Tatin.