Best Classic Tarte Tatin Recipes

CLASSIC TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface and using a floured rolling pin, roll puff pastry into a 10 1/2-inch square. Brush off excess flour. Using a plate as a guide, cut out a 10-inch round. Transfer pastry round to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, coat bottom and sides of a 10-inch skillet with the 4 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle sugar evenly over bottom. Arrange apple slices closely together in concentric circles in skillet, with rounded sides down. Place over medium-high heat, and cook, without stirring, until juices are deep golden and bubbling, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Line oven rack with foil to catch any juices, and place skillet on foil. Bake for 20 minutes (apples will settle slightly). Remove from oven, and place pastry round over apples. Bake until pastry is dark golden brown, 23 to 28 minutes. Let cool in skillet on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.
• Invert tart onto a serving dish. Gently remove any apples that stick to skillet, and place on tart. Serve warm, with creme fraiche.

CLASSIC TARTE TATIN IN A CAST-IRON SKILLET

Steps:

• To make the dough in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until reduced to ½ inch pieces. Add the water a little at a time and pulse until the dough just begins to come together in a rough mass.
• To make the dough by hand, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and shortening and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the pieces of fat into the flour mixture until they are no larger than small peas. Distribute the water over the mixture and toss with a fork until the dough is evenly moist and begins to come together in a rough mass.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape into a 5-inch disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.
• Lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll out the chilled dough into a 12-inch round a scant ¼ inch think. Lift and turn the dough several times as you roll to prevent s sticking, and dust the surface and rolling pin with additional flour as needed. Use a dough scraper or icing spatula to loosen the pastry if it sticks. Trim this dough into an 11-inch round. Slide a rimless baking sheet under the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.
• To make the filling, set a 10-inch straight-sided, ovenproof fry pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat and melt the butter. When it melts, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the butter and continue cooking until the sugar melts and turns amber colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Shake and swirl the pan frequently to redistribute the sugar for even melting and caramelization.
• Arrange the apples, side up, in the caramel in a snug, even layer. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the apples are just tender about 15 minutes. The caramel will bubble up around the apples. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Uncover the pastry round. When the bubbling has subsided, slide both hands under the pastry round and carefully place it on top of the apples, tucking in the edges and being careful not to burn your fingers. Bake until the crust is golden brown. About 30 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 6 minutes. Place a large flat serving plate upside down on top of the pan and invert the pan and plate together. Lift off the pan. Slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
• ***It's really not essential to take this apple creation from your skillet - serve it from your cast iron and you'll feel authentic. Kinda romantic to be so casual about something so yummy.

CLASSIC TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Turn dough onto work surface, gather into ball. Wrap in plastic refrig bout 1 hr. Between 2 pieces of wax paper or parchment, roll into circle bout 1/8" thick, 11" wide. Prick dough all o/ w/ fork, cover, refrig. Prepare apples Tip: heavy-duty ovenproof skillet best; avoid cast iron, gets too hot burns apples. Peel, core & quarter 4 apples. Put butter 10" heavy-duty ovenproof skillet o/ med heat. When melted, coat skillet sides w/ butter. Cover butter w/ sugar, cook til sugar evenly moistened, bout 1 min. Remove from heat. Lay apple wedges in skillet w/ rounded sides down or against side of skillet. Build concentric circles, pack apples in snug single layer gaps ok. Peel, core, & quarter as many of remaining apples needed to fill gaps. If necess. cut pieces smaller to fill gaps these will form haphaz 2nd layer, but will shrink as they cook. Will be able to nudge pieces into widen gaps. Put pan o/ med. - med-high heat, cook til beginning to bubble, bout 2 min. Continue cooking til apple juices are mostly boiled away & caramel is deep golden color, 15 - 20 min. Adjust heat, reposition skillet as needed for even cooking. Heat shouldn't be too low (apples get mushy) or too high (burn the caramel). As apples shrink, nudge top layer of apples into gaps. Meanwhile, rack in center of oven, heat to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheet w/foil. When apples done, transfer skillet to baking sheet,let sit for few min before proceeding (caramel settles). Meanwhile, let dough sit at room temp until pliable. Bake tarte tatin Place dough on top of fruit, tuck overhang. Bake til pastry golden, 25 - 30 min. Rest tart on baking sheet til bubbling caramel quiets down, 3 - 5 min. Gently run knife around edges of pan to loosen apples stuck to sides. Cover skillet w/ large serving platter preferably one w/ rim. Invert tart onto platter, remove skillet. Cool at least 15 min before cutting. Serve w/ crème fraîche.