Only 4 Ingredients to Create Magic
Where we left off last week….we had enjoyed the first part of our September BBQ birthday celebration for my dad (affectionately known as Do-Dad) ….
Roasted tomato basil soup I mini-grilled cheese sage sandwich croutons I sauteed sage leaf
Followed by cheddar apple burger with carmelized onions I roasted parsnips carrots I autumn apple salad with candied nuts
And now for the perfect ending….a French classic: Tarte Tatin.
As part of our pandemic habits, Mike and I have been exploring local parks and forest preserves every weekend for the past few months and have enjoyed visiting nearby farms and orchards along the way. After one of our many hikes at Glacial Park (one of our favorite places), we happened upon Stade’s Farm & Market and picked up freshly picked Honeycrisp apples for this occasion’s Tarte Tatin. I have read many recipes that indicate Braeburn are perfect for this treat, but a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith work great too.
Anything apple in the fall brings back childhood memories of annual apple picking with family friends - typically up to Oriole Springs orchard in Wisconsin, later renamed Harvest Time where Mike and I have spent many a September afternoon enjoying gathering a load of apples, a brat and some apple cider donuts. Back in the kitchen the apples were turned into apple betty, apple pie or apple sauce. Over the years my dad has harvested bushel upon bushel of apples from his own trees ranging from Jonathan, Jonagold, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. And he still commandeers the kitchen for whole days processing them and turning them into something delicious he enjoys all year long. My dad is truly dedicated to the apple and my mom enjoys them too. I suppose on this one the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree - I always love a juicy apple for a snack or out on the hiking trail with some almonds. And I always find apples a perfect focus for an autumn dessert.
Mike is a total Happy Boolo among the willow at Glacial Park!
Thanks Stade’s for delicious honeycrisp apples and apple cider donuts!
Perfect for an autumn dessert!
Thanks to the New York Times and the pastry chef at the former Gotham Bar and Grill in New York for the foundational recipe.
Tarte Tatin
Ingredients:
6 to 8 large, firm-fleshed apples, preferably Braeburn, or use a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith
6 tablespoons/80 grams salted butter, very soft
⅔ cup/135 grams granulated or light brown sugar
1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, about 8 ounces (store-bought is what I have always used; when I tackle the feat of making my own puff pastry, I will be posting this again!)
Four simple ingredients - the apples are the magic!
Tarte Tatin
The Recipe:
Very Important First Step
At least one day before you plan to cook the tart, prepare the apples: Slice off the bottom of each apple so it has a flat base. Peel and quarter the apples. Use a small sharp knife to trim the hard cores and seeds from the center of each quarter; don’t worry about being too neat. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, lightly covered, for at least one day or up to three days. (This key step reduces the amount of liquid in the tart. Don’t worry if the apples turn brown; they will be browned during the cooking anyway.)
Mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith - perfect for Tarte Tatin!
Apples cut and ready for drying in the refrigerator
Now onto the rest of the recipe!
When ready to cook, heat oven to 375 degrees (or 350 if using convection). Thickly coat the bottom of a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably nonstick metal, with butter. Sprinkle sugar evenly on top.
Cut one piece of apple into a thick round disk and place in the center of the skillet to serve as the “button.” Arrange the remaining apple pieces, each one standing on its flat end, in concentric circles around the button. Keep the pieces close together so that they support one another, standing upright. They will look like the petals of a flower.
On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry about 1/8-inch thick. Place an upside-down bowl or pan on the pastry and use the tip of a sharp knife to cut out a circle about the same size as the top of your skillet. Lift out the circle so your dough is ready to go.
Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat so that juice from the apples, melted butter and carmelizing sugar bubbles around the edges. As the juices rise up beyond the middle of the apples, spoon out as needed. (The sauce you spoon out is perfect for drizzling over ice cream and/or can be the perfect drizzle on whipped cream topping the tart). If necessary, raise the heat so that the juices are at a boil.
Once the apples start to soften and the juices start to turn a darker brown and smell carmelized, drape the pastry gently over the apples. (The time between first heating the skillet and when you drape the pastry on the apples will vary depending on your stove, size of your apples, etc. I rely on noticing when my apples are softening up and the juice looks noticeably carmelized. It could be 15-20 minutes.) I use a spatula or wooden spoon to then tuck in the edges of the pastry to make sure the apples are fully covered down into the sides of the skillet and they are held together firmly. Let cook on the stove another 2-3 minutes.
Transfer skillet to the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until puff pastry is browned and firm.
Let cool 5 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a round serving plate. (Or, if not serving immediately, let cool completely in the pan; when ready to serve, rewarm for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven before turning out.) If any apples remain stuck in the pan, gently use your fingers or a spatula to retrieve them, and rearrange on the pastry shell. Cut in wedges and serve warm with heavy cream, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
I find serving this dessert with vanilla bean ice cream, apple jack whipped cream, drizzled carmel sauce I spooned out earlier with a dusting of cinnamon to be heavenly.
Spreading the butter to cover the cast iron skillet
Layering on the sugar
Rolling out the puff pastry
Sizing and cutting it just right
Setting the central piece of the apple flower
The rest of the pieces snugly surround the central piece in concentric circles making a flower. :)
Ready for cooking
Apples start to juice and carmelize in the heat
Spooning out the excess carmelized juices.
Perfect for apple carmel sauce on ice cream or a delicate drizzle on top of the dessert
Apples fully softening and starting to brown
Puff pastry on! I use a wooden spoon or spatula to ensure the edges are tucked in enough all around the skillet.
In the oven she goes…
Puffing and browning nicely!
YUM - golden brown!
I rely on my boolo for the perfect flip. Quick and steady does it!
Carmelized sweetness awaiting an appetite!
Tarte Tatin I Vanilla Bean Ice Cream I Whipped Cream I Cinnamon I Candied Pecan
Mom (affectionately known as the Moo-Mom) loves her French desserts!
Happy Birthday Do-Dad!
Two happy boolos satisfied after another meal creation…