Tarte Tatin
Tart apples, buttery caramel, and crisp puff pastry come together in this classic French upside-down tart.
Tarte Tatin has a reputation for being tricky, but a few key choices make this classic French dessert much more manageable. Cooking the caramel before adding the apples gives you more control over its color and flavor, while keeping the puff pastry cold helps it bake up crisp and flaky. A 10" CeramiClad® Non Stick Frying Pan takes you from stovetop to oven and helps make the final flip—and release—a little more foolproof.
Tarte Tatin
Tart apples, buttery caramel, and crisp puff pastry come together in this classic French upside-down tart.
Rhoda Boone, Culinary Director
- 1.
Preheat oven to 400F. Peel apples, then cut in half from top to bottom. Scoop out seeds using a melon baller or ½ tsp. measuring spoon, then cut a small V around the stem and blossom ends to remove them. For larger apples, cut into thirds or fourths.
- 2.
On a lightly floured work surface, gently roll puff pastry just enough to smooth any creases. Invert a 10" CeramiClad® Non Stick Frying Pan on top of pastry and run a paring knife around the rim to trim the pastry to size. Dock pastry all over with a fork. Chill until ready to use.
- 3.
Add half the sugar to the Pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and beginning to caramelize, 4–6 minutes. Add remaining sugar and continue cooking until completely melted and deep amber. Remove from heat and carefully stir in butter, then vinegar, until combined, returning to low heat if needed to incorporate.
- 4.
Arrange apples cut-side down in caramel and return Pan to medium heat. Cook until apples just begin to release their juices, 4–5 minutes, rotating Pan and gently shaking pan as needed for even cooking. Flip apples cut side up and arrange tightly, overlapping slightly as needed. Remove from heat and let rest about 5 minutes.
- 5.
Drape chilled puff pastry over apples and tuck edges down around them into the Pan. Transfer Pan to oven and bake until pastry is golden brown and crisp and apples are tender but still hold their shape, 30–40 minutes.
- 6.
Let tart rest in Pan for 5 minutes, but no longer than 10, to prevent the caramel from setting. If it looks very juicy, carefully pour off excess juices into a small bowl. Place a large serving plate over Pan and, using oven mitts, carefully invert tart onto plate. Finish generously with flaky salt and serve warm.
