Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin

Written by on in Cakes, Bakes and Pastries

There are so many conflicting views on how this superb dessert originated.

For the sake of any arguments, I will give this version.

Tarte Tatin is named after the Tatin sisters, Caroline and Stéphanie, who ran the Tatin Hotel in Sologne a region of north-central France at the end of the 19th century. This irresistible dessert was created by accident when by a simple oversight they left baked apples in the oven for too long, and when the apples started to caramelise, they decided to complete the job anyway and placed the pastry on top of the apples and baked it of. On completing the baking the dish was turned out of the pan and served with the pastry on the bottom instead of the top, The concoction was loved by the guests and became the signature dish of the hotel.

Tarte Tatin
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Tarte Tatin

Recipe by GeeDeeCourse: Cakes, Bakes and PastriesCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Medium
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

25

minutes
Cooking time

45

minutes
Calories

376

kcal
Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Tarte Tatin is named after the Tatin sisters, Caroline and Stéphanie, who ran the Tatin Hotel in Sologne a region of north-central France at the end of the 19th century.
If mastered, this dessert is a show stopper for any Dinner Party

What You Will Need
24cm Tarte Tatin Pan

Ingredients

  • 8 to 10 apples mix them with sweet (Braeburn) and tart (Granny Smith)

  • 150 g unsalted butter

  • 150 g castor sugar

  • 200 g shortcrust pastry

  • cinnamon optional

Directions

  • Prepare the fruit 24 hrs in advance..
  • Peel and core the apples and cut in half horizontally and place in the fridge uncovered overnight.
  • Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick round on a lightly floured surface and cut a circle, that is at least 2/3 cms larger than the pan you will be using.
  • Place on a flat surface and put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
  • Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4
  • Put the sugar and butter in a 24cm Tatin dish or a 24cm ovenproof heavy-based frying pan and place over a medium-high heat.
  • Let the sugar caramelise to a golden brown (about 5-7 mins) syrup.
  • Remove from the heat.
  • To assemble the Tarte Tatin, arrange the apple halves rounded side down, tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish first, then fill the remainder of the dish the same way.
  • Any remaining apples can be cut into smaller pieces and arranged neatly on top.
  • Gently press with your hands to ensure the apples sink into the caramel and there are no gaps.
  • Bake in the oven for 15 mins, or until the fruit begins to soften.
  • Remove from the oven and place the pastry on top. Move quickly here as the pastry will soften quite fast with the heat from the fruit.
  • Fold the edges down the inside of the dish.
  • Gently push down on the pastry so that the apples connect with the pastry. (Not too hard as you don’t want the apples protruding through the pastry)
  • Make a small incision with the tip of a knife in the centre (this allows the steam to escape.)
  • Return to the oven and bake for a further 40-45 mins or until the pastry is golden brown and the caramel juices begin to leak through the side of the pastry.
  • While the tart is still hot and using hand protection, place the dish on a flat board and a large round flat serving dish on top. Lift the board with one hand and place the other hand on top of the plate. Holding the board and plate tightly and in a swift and one-piece movement flip the board and plate over and replace onto the table.
  • Carefully lift the Tatin pan away from the tart.
  • true Tarte Tatin should be served warm and as is.
  • But if you want to serve with Vanilla ice cream or Creme Fraiche I’m sure your dinner guests wouldn’t be too averse to that.
  • Enjoy.

Recipe Video