TARTE TATIN

The glorious buttery, decadent, sticky sweet caramel soaks the sour apples into a great dessert

Ingredients

• Ready made puff pastry (defrost and roll into 0.5cm thick)
• 7 Granny Smith apples
• 80 grams butter
• 120 grams brown sugar

Method

• Preheat the oven to 190C.
• Cut out a circle from the puff pastry. The circle has to be at least 5 cm bigger than your ovenproof pan.
• Peel and half 6 of the apples. Use a spoon to remove the cores and seeds, then cut the apples into quarters.
• Apple number seven should then be peeled and cut in half. Using a spoon remove the core and seeds as well. You only need one half of the apple. I normally eat the other half!

• 

• In a large sauce pan over medium heat, put the butter and sugar, stirring constantly until the colour is light brown. Add the apples.
• Cook for about 20 minutes turning the apples constantly until they are coated in a thick layer of caramel, (the juice of the apples will make the caramel).
• Place the halved apple with the core down in the centre of the ovenproof dish and arrange the apple quarters in concentric circles around it. The apples should be placed tightly agains each other.

• Pour the remaining caramel over the top of the apples.
• Lay the pastry over the top of the apples. Using a spoon carefully tuck the pastry down right into the edges.
• Bake the Tarte Tatin for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

• Wearing oven gloves to protect your hands from the hot caramel turn the tarte onto a serving plate. I only let the tarte stand until the caramel stops bubbling because once the caramel is cold it is very difficult to turn the tarte.

Tips

• Cox apples can be used instead of Granny Smith apples.
• Use oven gloves when turning the tarte. Remember the caramel is still hot.
• Create the caramel first with the butter and sugar, do not add any water, the apples will release their juices and make the caramel.
• Do not leave the tarte too long in the pan or over night, it will be almost impossible to take it out of the pan.
• You can also use other fruits such as peaches, nectarines, plums, pears and banana slices. But to me a true Tarte Tatin is with apples.