I have been baking at home and professionally for a few years now and until last week I’d never made a Tarte Tatin. Visions of molten hot sugar flying across my kitchen as I flipped over a 400 degree pan of caramelized apples was enough to keep me at bay.
And then I read a recipe that gave me courage.
James Peterson’s tome of pastry aptly titled Baking (a great resource for any baker) offers a tip – start the day before. Bake the tart and allow it to cool completely in the pan. Then refrigerate the pastry for up to 12 hours allowing the sugar to cool and the apples to congeal together. Once it is thoroughly chilled, return the pan and it’s contents to the stove over medium high heat and gently, with splayed palms, rotate the tart to be sure that it doesn’t stick to the pan when you unmold it. With a plate held taut over the pan, quickly (and calmly) invert the pan onto the plate and voila!
Find a recipe with instructions, after the jump…
Tarte Tatin
Adapted from James Peterson’s ‘Baking’
15 – 18 medium to large baking apples (I prefer pink lady apples for baking)
¾ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
1 recipe of your favorite pie dough or store bought puff pastry, cut into a round just larger than the circumference of your pan
Peel, slice and core the apples. Then cut each half in half again creating quarters.
Combine butter and sugar in a 12 inch oven-safe saucepan. Cook until the mixture begins to caramelize – about 5 minutes – stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture is a deep amber color and smells nutty start adding your apple quarters to the pan. Work in a circle standing the apple wedges on their ends. As you add more apples it will be easier to keep them upright. If the butter/sugar mixture at any point is getting too dark during this stage just take it off the heat and continue adding apples.
*At this point I put my prepared round of pie dough in the freezer and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Once you have added as many apples as will fit in the pan allow the mixture to cook over medium-high heat until the caramel is syrupy and comes only ½ inch up the apples. For me this took about 30 minutes. Keep in mind that as the apples cook they will shrink so you will need to continue adding apples to the pan to ensure it that there will be no gaps in the final tart. To check and see if the apples are done, pick one up and see if the bottom is golden brown. If it is, take the pan off the heat and place your very cold round of dough on top of the pan. Use the heat of the pan to soften the dough so that you can tuck the edges around the apples and down the sides of the pan.
Bake tart for roughly 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Allow the tart to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled place the entire pan in the refrigerator for 3 to 12 hours. A few hours before serving take the pan out of the refrigerator and place on the stove over medium high heat for about 40 seconds. Shift the pan every 10 seconds to ensure it’s heated evenly. With splayed palms try to rotate the pastry in the pan. When you are able to complete a full rotation the tart is ready. Take the pan off the heat and place a plate on top of the pan. Gracefully invert the pan so that the tart falls onto the plate.
Allow the Tarte Tatin to come to room temperature before serving. A sprinkling of powdered sugar makes for an even more beautiful presentation.
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FAQs
"Sometimes, I like to flash it back in the oven for a minute or use a blowtorch to take the pan off. I find either of these methods helps the tarte keep its shape, and the cooling rack helps keep the tatin from getting soggy."
How to stop tarte Tatin sticking? ›
Then refrigerate the pastry for up to 12 hours allowing the sugar to cool and the apples to congeal together. Once it is thoroughly chilled, return the pan and it's contents to the stove over medium high heat and gently, with splayed palms, rotate the tart to be sure that it doesn't stick to the pan when you unmold it.
Should tart tatin be served hot or cold? ›
Tuck the edges of the pastry into the dish and prick a few holes with a sharp knife to let the steam out as the dish cooks. Return to the oven for a further 40-45 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Allow to cool at room temperature for one hour before turning out of the tin and serving warm.
How do you know when tarte Tatin is done? ›
Top sautéed apples with the pastry round, tucking the edges in all around. Cut a vent or two in the center, and place dish or skillet on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes minutes, or until pastry is nicely browned and apples are bubbling around the edges. Run a butter knife around the edges to loosen.
How do you keep the bottom of a tart from getting soggy? ›
Blind-bake your base before adding a filling to help to firm the base and avoid liquid being absorbed into it. Prick the base with a fork to help steam escape, cover with foil or parchment, and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice or white sugar.
How do you keep tart pastry crisp? ›
Some people like to paint the surface of the pastry base with lightly beaten egg white after the beans have been removed and before returning the dish to the oven as the egg white cooks onto the surface of the pastry and can act as a slight sealant to help to keep the pastry crisp.
What is the best pan for tatin? ›
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.
What is unusual about tarte tatin? ›
Named after the woman who invented it, the Tarte Tatin (tart tah-TAN) is a famous French "upside-down" caramelized apple tart or Tarte aux pommes (caramélisé). Basically, the apples are underneath the dough – topsy-turvy indeed.
Why is tarte tatin upside down? ›
In an alternative version of the tart's origin, Stéphanie baked a caramelized apple tart upside-down by mistake: regardless, she served her guests the unusual dish. A manuscript written by teacher Marie Souchon explains that the recipe was shared to them by the cook of Count Alfred Leblanc de Chatauvillard.
When to flip a tarte Tatin? ›
Bake the tarte Tatin for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Cool the tarte Tatin briefly. Set the tarte on a cooling rack and cool for 10-20 minutes. Invert the tarte Tatin.
Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, lightly covered, for at least one day or up to three days.
What wine to serve with tarte Tatin? ›
The best wines to pair with tarte tatin
For me, two types of botrytized sweet wine trump almost all others: Riesling and Chenin Blanc. Both have an affinity with apple and retain their acidity, and in botrytized form they're rich enough for the caramel (made with white or golden sugar).
How do you keep puff pastry from getting soggy on the bottom? ›
How to Prevent a Soggy Bottom Pie Crust
- Blind Bake the Crust.
- Choose the Right Rack in the Oven.
- Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White.
- Put the Pie on a Hot Cookie Sheet.
- Make a Thicker Crust.
- Add a Layer.
- Consider a Metal Pie Pan.
Butter tarts that are runny may be underbaked or may not contain enough egg. Eggs help thicken and stabilize butter tart filling while it bakes, which is why I've included two whole eggs in my recipe to ensure the filling is thick and fully set once baked.
How to store tarte Tatin overnight? ›
Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, lightly covered, for at least one day or up to three days.
