Caramelized Peach Tatin Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Melt the butter in a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar and salt until it looks like wet sand. Reduce the heat to medium and add the peaches. Cook, shaking the skillet, until the syrup is dark brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim the corners from the puff pastry to make a round. Remove the skillet from the heat and top the peaches with the puff pastry, tucking in the edges; cut three 2-inch slits into the top.
• Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the skillet, then invert onto a rimmed serving plate.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 * F.
• Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over moderate heat.
• Simmer without stirring until an amber caramel forms, about 6 minutes.
• Pour caramel into an 8 inch ovenproof skillet ( cast iron is great !), tilting to coat the bottom.
• Set peach halves in caramel, cut sides up.
• On a lightly floured surface, cut the puff pastry into an 9 inch round, to cover an 8 inch skillet.
• Set the round over the peaches in the skillet, and bake until the pastry is richly browned and puffed, about 28 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Carefully invert the peach tart onto a cake plate/platter, and let cool slightly.
• Cut the tart into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan until it bubbles. Add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick and stir to combine, pressing on the vanilla bean to bring out the vanilla seeds inside. Continue simmering until caramel in color, about 5 minutes. The mixture might not look smooth and blended at this point.
• Stir in the brandy, lemon juice and orange zest and continue cooking until smooth, about 5 minutes more. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and arrange the ramekins on a cookie sheet. Pour 2 tablespoons of caramel into the bottom of each ramekin. Arrange 1 peach half in each ramekin. Pour a little more caramel over the peaches and bake until the caramel is bubbling and the peaches are almost tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (The recipe can be made up to this point, cooled to room temperature, and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
• Meanwhile, use a cutter or sharp knife, cut the puff pastry into 12 rounds, slightly larger than the diameter of your ramekins (they will shrink during the baking). Remove the ramekins from the oven and turn it up to 425 degrees F. Top each ramekin with a round of puff pastry and bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Let cool at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. When ready to serve, re-warm the tarts slightly to loosen the caramel by placing them in a shallow pan of very hot water, or on a flame tamer on your stovetop, set over medium heat. Unmold upside down onto small plates and serve, with the peaches up and the pastry on the bottom.

Steps:

• Core the pears, then peel as neatly as possible and halve. If you like, they can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge, uncovered, so that they dry out.
• Tip the sugar, butter, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon into an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm wide, and place over a high heat until bubbling. Shake the pan and stir the buttery sauce until it separates and the sugar caramelises to a toffee colour.
• Lay the pears in the pan, then cook in the sauce for 10-12 mins, tossing occasionally, until completely caramelised. Don't worry about them burning - they won't - but you want to caramelise them as much as possible. Splash in the brandy and let it flambé, then set the pears aside.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a plate slightly larger than the top of the pan, cut out a circle, then press the edges of the circle of pastry to thin them out.
• When the pears have cooled slightly, arrange them in the pan, cut side up, in a floral shape, with the pears around the edge pointing inwards. Rest the cinnamon stick on the top in the centre, with the cardamom pods scattered around.
• Drape the pastry over the pears, then tuck the edges down the pan sides and under the fruit (see Gordon's guide). Pierce the pastry a few times, then bake for 15 mins. If a lot of juice bubbles up the side of the pan, pour it off at this stage (see guide). Reduce oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and bake for 15 mins more until the pastry is golden. Leave the tart to stand for 10 mins, then invert it carefully onto a serving dish.

Steps:

• Drain peaches, pouring syrup into a skillet. Place skillet over high heat. Cook until syrup is caramelized (thick and light golden brown), about 10 minutes, stirring gently toward end of cooking so caramel does not burn around edges.
• Add peaches to caramel. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl, and allow to cool.
• Stir in Cognac and lemon juice. If mixture is too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Cover, and refrigerate until serving.
• To serve, toast brioche slices, and place one on each of four dessert plates. Arrange 2 peach halves on top of each slice, and top with a spoonful or two of sauce. Sprinkle with pistachios, and serve.

Steps:

• 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.)
• 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 and drape gently over the apples. Use your hands to tuck the pastry around the apple pieces, hugging them together firmly.
• Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until golden-brown juice begins to bubble around the edges, 3 minutes (if the juices keep rising, spoon out as needed to remain level with pastry). If necessary, raise the heat so that the juices are at a boil. Keep cooking until the juices are turning darker brown and smell caramelized, no longer than 10 minutes more.
• 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.