French · Dessert · Medium
Tarte Tatin
Golden apples caramelized in buttery amber, sealed under flaky pastry and flipped like a showstopper. Rustic, dramatic, and unforgettable.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Tarte Tatin, in 5 ideas
- Firm apples hold their shape through the long caramel cook
- Packing the apples tightly stops them slumping into gaps after flipping
- Deep amber caramel tastes rich, not burnt, if you watch it closely
- Cold pastry going onto hot fruit gives the crispest, flakiest top
- The flip works best while the caramel is still warm and fluid
What you need
Ingredients
- 6 firm apples (Golden Delicious or Braeburn), peeled, cored, and quartered
- 150g granulated sugar
- 75g unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 sheet puff pastry (about 230g), thawed
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Creme fraiche, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Toss the apple quarters with lemon juice to stop browning. Roll the puff pastry into a 30cm circle on a floured surface and keep it chilled in the fridge.
- Spread the sugar evenly over the base of a 24cm ovenproof skillet. Cook over medium heat without stirring until the sugar melts and turns deep amber, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the butter and stir until it melts into the caramel. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Arrange the apple quarters rounded side down in the caramel, packing them tightly in a single layer. Let any extra wedges sit snugly on top; they shrink as they cook.
- Cook the apples in the caramel over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until they start to soften and the caramel thickens.
- Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan). Drape the cold pastry over the apples, tucking the edges down inside the skillet.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden and puffed.
- Rest 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge, place a large plate over the skillet, and flip confidently in one motion. Serve warm with creme fraiche.
Use the cheapest firm apples in the store, often sold as bruised fruit bags. Tarte tatin hides every blemish under caramel, so save the pretty ones for eating raw.