Best Caramelized Apple Tart Recipes

CARAMELIZED APPLE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll out pie dough to a 1/8-inch thickness (or unfold store-bought dough). Invert a 9-inch plate on top of dough; trim dough around plate with a sharp paring knife to form a round (discard scraps, or save for another use). Refrigerate until needed.
• Assemble the tart in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Press softened butter evenly into the bottom of the skillet, then sprinkle with the sugar. Arrange apple wedges in a circle around edge, then fill in the center with remaining wedges. Place skillet over medium heat, and cook until sugar mixture is light amber in color and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes (syrup might brown unevenly).
• Transfer to oven; cook until apples have softened, about 30 minutes. Carefully place dough round on top; bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more.
• Let cool, about 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of skillet; invert tart onto a serving platter. Replace any apples that may have stuck to bottom of skillet; drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CARAMELIZED APPLE TART: TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• To make the caramel: Have ready a 10-inch round cake pan with 3-inch sides. (Do not use a springform pan for this; it will leak!) In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is dark amber in color ¿ it's okay if there are a few sugar lumps remaining. When the caramel is done, carefully pour it into the cake pan. Don't touch the cake pan with unprotected hands ¿ it will be hot! Set the cake pan aside until caramel is cool. (The caramel-coated pan can be made up to 2 days in advance and left, covered, at room temperature.)
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Core the apples by cutting down, top to bottom, on all 4 sides around the core. You will have 2 apple halves and 2 smaller pieces. Arrange the first layer of apple halves, flat-side down, on top of the set caramel in the pan. (This will later become the top of the tart.) Arrange the remaining apple halves and pieces to form the second layer. Things will be a bit crowded at first, but the apples will shrink down when cooked. Place on a parchment paper-lined, sturdy baking sheet. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the apples are very tender.
• Meanwhile, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry dough into a round 1/4-inch thick. Cut out a 10-inch pastry circle and transfer it to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
• When the apples are done, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer to a flat surface, taking care, as the caramel will be bubbling hot. Remove the pastry circle from the refrigerator and prick with a fork 15 times. Gently place on top of the cooked apples. Return tart to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the puff pastry is puffy and golden brown. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 to 25 minutes.
• To serve, you will need a 12- to 14-inch diameter round serving platter and another sturdy baking sheet. Invert both the serving platter and the other baking sheet. Invert both the serving platter and the other baking sheet over the warm tatin pan. Using both hands, firmly grab both baking sheets and quickly flip over the pans ¿ doing this over the kitchen sink will cut down on any sticky mess. Remove the top baking sheet and carefully lift up the cake pan, using dry towels to avoid getting burned by the caramel. If any apples remain stuck to the pan, remove them with a metal spatula and place them back on the tart. This tart is best served warm.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, water, and melted butter on medium speed until well mixed, about 1 minute. Work quickly and do not overwork the dough. Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap, form it into a rough rectangle, enclose the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, put the remaining 14 ounces of butter between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin, turning as necessary, until softened. The butter should be malleable but not too soft. Set aside in a cool place ¿ the butter will later be spread on the dough as you start the folding process.
• Place the refrigerated dough on a well-floured work surface and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using a rolling pin, push down on the dough to start flattening it, and then roll it into a 20 by 30 by 10-inch rectangle, 1/4 inch thick, with the long sides running from left to right. (It might feel that you're rolling sideways, and well, you are.) Carefully brush off any excess flour from the dough. Starting on the right side, and leaving a 1-inch border, slap and spread on the butter, using your fingers, over two-thirds of the rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds; starting with the left side, fold at the butter line as if closing a book, and then fold the right side up and over the top layer. You should end up with a stack of 3 thick layers of dough, each separated from the next by a layer of butter.
• As you prepare to make the first turn of the dough, keep in mind the importance of rolling the butter evenly along the length and width of the rectangle as you roll the dough. Adjust the pressure on the rolling pin as necessary, rolling harder or more evenly, to achieve a smoother, even, dough-enclosed butter sandwich. To begin your first turn, turn the dough 90 degrees on your work surface so the closed fold is at the top and, rolling lengthwise, roll It into a 20 by 10-inch rectangle. Brush off any excess flour and fold into thirds as above, starting with the left side and ending with the right. At this point, you have finished one turn. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so the closed fold is at the top, and repeat the rolling and folding process. The second turn is complete. After the second turn, or any time the dough is too soft to work with, transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate, covered in plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes, or until the dough is chilled and relaxed. Each time the dough is refrigerated, make an indentation in the dough with your fingertip for each turn completed. Repeat this rolling and folding process, rolling out the dough lengthwise every time, for more times for a total of 6 turns. After the sixth turn, let the dough rest a good hour in the refrigerator.
• Store the dough, as is, well wrapped in plastic wrap. The dough can be kept refrigerated up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 10 days. If frozen, thaw the dough, still wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator before using.

QUICK CARAMELIZED APPLE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a floured work surface, roll the puff pastry into a 12-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Invert a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over the pastry. Using the skillet as a guide, cut a 10-inch round of pastry. Transfer to a plate and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the apples.
• Heat the same skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and then sprinkle over the sugar and add the apples on top. Once the sugar begins to melt, adjust the heat so the juices bubble rapidly. Cook, stirring, until the apples are tender and juices are light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Using a fork, nudge the apples into 2 concentric circles (it doesn't have to be perfect) in the skillet. Top with the chilled pastry round and tuck the edges in. Gently prick the pastry in 4 or 5 places with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F, until the pastry is puffed and light golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes.
• To unmold, place a serving plate over the skillet and quickly but carefully flip the pan. The tart will unmold onto the plate, and if a few apple slices stick to the pan, return them to the tart. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving to allow the syrup to sink into the tart. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

PIE DOUGH FOR CARAMELIZED APPLE TART

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar several times to combine. Add butter.
• Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining.
• Add 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if needed, add up to 2 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.
• Turn out onto a floured work surface; knead once or twice, until dough comes together. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

APPLE TART WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 12-inch square. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold in overhang to form double-thick high-standing sides. Pierce pastry all over with fork. Freeze pastry shell 15 minutes. Line shell with foil and beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until bottom is golden, about 8 minutes longer. Cool pastry shell.
• Place apples, 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until mixture is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring and breaking up apples with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Cook fennel in large saucepan of boiling, lightly salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; drain fennel well.
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar. Cook until sugar dissolves and mixture is dark amber, stirring frequently, about 14 minutes. Stir in drained fennel (caramel mixture will harden). Cover; cook until caramel melts, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until caramel thickens, about 5 minutes longer (fennel will be very tender). (Pastry shell, apple compote and caramelized fennel can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately. Refrigerate apple and fennel mixtures; store pastry shell airtight at room temperature.)
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread apple compote evenly over bottom of pastry shell. Arrange caramelized fennel evenly over compote. Sprinkle tart with aniseed. Bake until warmed through, about 15 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

CARAMELIZED APPLE TART

Steps:

• FOR CRUST: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and yolks. Using fingertips, rub butter and yolks into flour mixture until coarse meal forms. Gently knead crust in bowl until ball forms, about 4 minutes. Flatten ball into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead, keep refrigerated). FOR FILLING: Preheat oven to 350. Scatter butter cubes over bottom of 12-inch ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle sugar over. Arrange apple halves, cut side up over sugar (there will be some halves left over). Cut remaining apple halves into thin slices; tuck enough apple slices between apple halves to fill in aps. Heat skillet over med heat until sugar and buter melt. Cook, shifting pan often for even cooking, until sugar syrup is deep amber, tucking in more apples slices as more gaps form, about 45 minutes. Cool until bubbling stops, about 10 minutes. Roll out crust on floured surface to 12-inch round. Place crust atop hot apples. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool at room temp. Heat skillet over med-high heat 3minutes to loosen apple filling. Place large plate over skillet. Using oven mitts, hold plate and skillet together and invert, shaking gently to release tart onto plate. Rearrange any apples that may have becaome dislodged. Cut tart into wedges; serve with vanilla ice cream.