Tarte Tatin

Description
Courtesy of
Food and Wine
Tarte Tatin was invented at the Hotel Tatin in France during the 1880s, but this dreamy dessert has since spread around the world. New York apple halves are cooked in butter and sugar until an amber caramel forms, then topped with a round of puff pastry and baked. After baking, the tart is inverted to reveal perfectly tender, caramelized apples.
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz. package all-butter puff pastry
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 12 NY apples, peeled, cored and halved lengthwise
- Crème fraîche, for serving
Instructions
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out a 12-inch round, transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate; reserve the pastry scraps for another use.
- In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter. Add the sugar and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Arrange the NY apple halves standing upright in the skillet in 2 snug concentric circles. Return to the heat and cook undisturbed until an amber caramel forms, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Top the apples with the puff pastry and bake for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the apples are tender. Let cool for 15 minutes.
- Place a large plate on top of the skillet and carefully invert the tart. Serve warm with crème fraîche.