Tarte Tatin — the classic French upside-down apple tart, with caramelised apples baked under crisp puff pastry and turned out to serve. Stunning with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
- 300g Puff Pastry
- Dusting Plain Flour
- 6 Braeburn Apples
- 100g Caster Sugar
- 85g Butter
- to serve Creme Fraiche
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Preparation
- Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick round on a lightly floured surface and cut a 24cm circle using a plate as a guide. Lightly prick all over with a fork, wrap in cling film on a baking sheet, and freeze while you prepare the apples.
- Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Put the sugar in a flameproof 20cm Tatin dish or ovenproof heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the sugar for 5–7 minutes to a dark amber caramel that's starting to smoke, then turn off the heat and stir in the diced chilled butter.
- Arrange the apple quarters very tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish first, rounded-side down, then fill in the middle in the same way. Gently press with your hands to ensure there are no gaps, then brush the fruit with the melted butter.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then place the disc of frozen puff pastry on top — it will quickly defrost. Tuck the edges down the inside of the dish and prick a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake for a further 40–45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
- Allow to cool to room temperature for 1 hour, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a large serving plate deep enough to contain the juices. Serve with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
