Apple Tarte Tatin
Also known as a French apple upside-down pie, a tarte tatin is a traditional French dessert. It's beauty lies in its simplicity. This recipe from celebrated French Chef Didier Stéphan uses shortcrust pastry. Like any apple pie, a tarte tatin is delicious served with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.
Equipment
- 1 Tarte Tatin pan This French upside-down apple pie, tarte tatin, is baked in a skillet—not a pie pan—with the bottom crust on top. The key to a successful tarte lies in the type of skillet you use. Cast iron, enameled cast iron, or a special tarte tatin mold, available at many kitchenware shops, are best. In any case, it should be heavy-bottomed, with a handle that can withstand the heat of the oven.
Ingredients
- Shortcrust pastry
- 2 ¾ cups cake flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 ½ tbsp water
Apple Tarte Tatin
- 10 golden delicious apples
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Shortcrust Pastry
- Sift the flour and add the salt. Blend the butter and the flour together with your fingertips until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Make a well and incorporate the egg yolk and water. Form a ball with the dough, still working quickly with your hands. Flatten the dough with the palm of your hands, pushing it away from you, until it is quite smooth.
- Chill the dough, wrapped in plastic, for about 30 minutes. Lightly sprinkle the working surface with flour and roll the dough into a disk shape with a thickness of about ⅛ in. (3 mm).
Apple Tarte Tatin
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Peel and core the apples. Cut into thick slices. Place a heavy-bottomed, oven-proof skillet or special Tarte Tatin pan on the heat and melt the butter. Add the sugar and caramelize over low heat.
- When the sugar begins to change color, arrange the apple slices in overlapping circles in the pan. Do not leave any gaps between the pieces. Flatten them slightly using a spatula so that they can poach in the caramel. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Remove the pan from the heat and cover with shortcrust pastry, pressing down firmly at the edges. Prick the pastry with a fork. Bake for 35-40 minutes until pastry is golden.
- Allow to cool a little in the pan before turning the tart out onto a serving plate. Serve it, still warm, with the apples facing upward.
Notes
A tarte tatin is baked in a heavy-bottomed skillet, not in a pie pan, because the bottom crust is on top.