Simple Tarte Tatin Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the sugar to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Cook gently, swirling often until the sugar melts and becomes golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Peel, core and halve the apples. Begin arranging the apple halves in a circular shape around the border of the skillet, standing them on the core ends. Fill the center part of the skillet with a smaller circle of the apples. Fill in any gaps with the smaller top and bottom pieces. Because the fruit will shrink considerably as it cooks, it is better to crowd the pan with fruit.
• Place the skillet back on the stovetop on a fairly high heat and cook until the fruit starts to become tender and soak up the caramel at the bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat again and rotate each apple piece halfway so the tops of the fruit are now sitting in the caramel on the bottom. Return the skillet to the heat and cook for an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Roll the puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface so it's larger than the skillet by 1 inch. Gently drape it over the skillet. Tuck the dough edges loosely inside the skillet so it covers the fruit (as if you are tucking the fruit into a pastry bed).
• Bake until bubbly around the edges, golden brown and delicious, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and cool 5 to 10 minutes. Then, scoop and spoon onto plates. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a wide skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and salt and whisk to combine. Add the apples to the caramel mixture and gently stir together, coating the apples in the caramel. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are slightly tender, 5 to 8 minutes depending on the size of your apples. Note: If the mixture begins to get too thick, add some water to loosen it up.
• Transfer the apples to a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet and arrange them cut-side up, making sure to evenly cover the bottom of the skillet. Drizzle half the caramel sauce over the apples, then return the caramel to the heat and cook until thick and glossy, another 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Roughly measure and cut the puff pastry sheet to approximately the size of the top of the skillet. Place the puff pastry on top of the apples and gently tuck the sides in ever so slightly. Cut the remaining scraps of puff pastry and evenly spread across the top (this will give the tarte tatin some volume).
• Bake until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, invert a plate on top and quickly (but carefully) flip onto the plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and the remaining caramel sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Stir together the sugar and vanilla bean seeds in a small bowl. Using your hands, press the butter as evenly as you can into a 10-inch ovenproof skillet and sprinkle the vanilla sugar on top.
• Arrange the apple halves standing upright, with the rounded sides facing outward, in a tight concentric circle around the skillet. Repeat until the skillet is completely filled.
• Place the skillet over medium heat and cook until a golden brown caramel forms, 20 to 30 minutes. It's ok if the caramel is a little patchy. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, roll the pie dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface. Roll onto a rolling pin then unroll it over the skillet. Carefully tuck any overhanging dough inside the skillet.
• Bake until the apples are bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then carefully flip onto a serving dish. Cut the tarte tatin into wedges and serve with whipped cream.
• Combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse until the chunks of butter are broken down to the size of peas and the flour feels like wet sand.
• Add 1/4 cup of the ice water and process until the dough comes together easily. If the dough immediately clumps apart, pulse in 2 more tablespoons of ice water at a time. Remember, you can always add more water but not more flour, so be careful not to add too much water at once.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each into a ball. Loosely wrap each ball in plastic wrap and flatten the dough into a disk about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Steps:

• Using a 9-inch (23 cm) flat-sided cake pan as a template, cut a circle out from the puff pastry. Using a fork, poke holes all over to provide ventilation. Set aside.
• Peel and quarter the apples, using a spoon or melon baller to remove the cores.
• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, distribute the water and sugar evenly and cook until light amber in color, stirring to help melt any lumps, 5-7 minutes. Add the butter, stirring constantly until the color is a creamy light brown. Add the apples, stirring until they are coated in a thick layer of caramel.
• Cook for about 15-20 minutes, turning the apples constantly so that they bathe in the caramel. Remove from the heat when the caramel has reduced and little remains in the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to burn the caramel, tasting it from time to time to ensure it does not taste bitter.
• Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles on the bottom of the cake pan. Press the apples tightly against each other, then pour the remaining caramel over the top.
• Lay the circle of puff pastry on top. Tuck the puff pastry down the sides of the pan.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and firm. Cool for about 1 hour, then invert onto a plate.
• Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Poaching liquid: In a 5-quart pot, bring water, sugar, and butter to a boil, whisking occasionally. Use a paring knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise; scrape the seeds from the pod and reserve for caramel. (Chef Boulud wipes the seeds onto the butter reserved for the caramel.) Add the scraped vanilla pod and the lemon juice to the poaching liquid.While the poaching liquid comes to a boil, prep the apples.
• Prep apples: Peel apples, then cut each into 4 wedges. Trim the top and bottom of each wedge and cut away the core. Set apple wedges aside.
• Make caramel: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a 8 x 2¼-inch sauté pan over medium heat, add sugar. Stir slowly and gently, keeping a close eye on it; when a little over half the sugar has melted, reduce heat to low and continue stirring. After a total of 6-7 minutes, sugar should be caramelized, brown, and 350 F on an instant-read thermometer. Turn off the heat and add the reserved vanilla seeds and butter. Stir vigorously to combine; then allow caramel cool, 10-15 minutes.
• Poach apples: Once the poaching liquid is at a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the apples. Raise the heat to bring the liquid back to a simmer. Gently stir the apples every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking, rotating the apples from the top of the pot to the bottom. (White foam may form on the surface, which is normal; it does not need to be removed.) Simmer until apples are tender and a knife can easily pierce through, 15-20 minutes. Set a colander over a bowl and use a strainer to very gently transfer apples to the colander. Discard poaching liquid.
• Spread poached apples on a parchment-lined baking sheet to stop the cooking. (Optional: Allow apples to cool for 10 minutes for easier handling.) Begin placing apples around the perimeter of the sauté pan on top of the caramel, upright and nesting inside one another. Continue wedging apples into the pan in concentric circles, as tightly as possible; nearly every piece should fit into the pan. (If one or two remain, that's the chef's snack!) Once the pan is tightly packed, use the back of a spoon to gently press the apples down, to remove any air pockets. Discard vanilla bean.Place pan over low heat until caramel is bubbly around the apples, 5 minutes. Use a spoon to baste the apples with the caramel, then place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. (Total baking time will be 60-75 minutes.) Note: Caramel may bubble out of the pan and onto the baking sheet, which is normal!
• While the apples are baking, wrap the bottom and outside of the slightly smaller pot in aluminum foil. After the apples have been baking for 20-25 minutes, remove from oven. Place sauté pan on a rack fitted over a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Gently press the bottom of the wrapped pot on the apples to fully submerge them into the caramel and flatten the top. (Some caramel may overflow onto the baking sheet.) Set aside the smaller pot and place the apples back into the oven for 30-35 more minutes, removing to press the apples every 15 minutes.
• After a total of about 60 minutes of baking, the apples will have absorbed most of the caramel and be concentrated in the sauté pan. Remove from the oven and increase oven temperature to 400 F. Roll pastry: Remove puff pastry from refrigerator. Dust a work surface with flour and roll pastry to a ¼-inch thickness, rotating the pastry as you roll; dust with additional flour as needed. Cut the flattened pastry into a circle just a little larger than the diameter of the sauté pan, using the lid as a guide. Use a fork to poke holes all over the pastry: this is called "docking" and will keep the pastry from over-puffing. Place docked pastry on top of the apples; it's fine if the pastry is at the edge of the pot, since it will shrink slightly as it bakes. Bake until pastry is lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Remove tarte Tatin from oven and let cool completely, at least 1 hour; cooling overnight at room temperature is recommended. (Unmolding the tarte when it is still warm may cause it to fall apart.) Once cool, warm the pan over medium heat for 1 minute; this will help the tarte Tatin come out of the pan more easily. Remove from heat and run a paring knife around the outer edge of the tarte to gently release the apples from the side of the pan. Place a serving platter over the pan; holding the platter firmly to the pan with a kitchen towel, quickly and carefully invert to flip the tarte Tatin onto the platter. Serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or crème fraîche (optional).

Steps:

• Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick round on a lightly floured surface and cut a 24cm circle, using a plate as a guide. Lightly prick all over with a fork, place on a baking sheet, then cover and freeze while preparing the apples.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Put the sugar in a flameproof 20cm ceramic tatin dish or a 20cm ovenproof heavy-based frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Cook the sugar for 5-7 mins to a dark amber caramel syrup that's starting to smoke, then turn off the heat and stir in the 60g diced chilled butter.
• To assemble the tarte tatin, arrange the apple quarters very tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish first, rounded-side down, then fill in the middle in a similar fashion. Gently press with your hands to ensure there are no gaps. Brush the fruit with the melted butter.
• Bake in the oven for 30 mins, then remove and place the disc of frozen puff pastry on top - it will quickly defrost. Tuck the edges down the inside of the dish and, with a knife, prick a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake for a further 40-45 mins until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
• Allow to cool to room temperature for 1 hr before running a knife around the edge of the dish and inverting it onto a large serving plate that is deep enough to contain the juices. Serve with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Coat a 10-inch oven-proof skillet with butter. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the top of the butter.
• Place apple quarters, rounded sides down, on top of the butter and sugar in a circular pattern.
• Place skillet over medium-high heat and cook until butter melts and sugar dissolves and begins to caramelize. Continue to cook until apples soften and caramel begins to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Sprinkle work surface with flour and roll pie dough into an 11-inch circle. Pinch edge to create a ruffle around crust.
• Place crust on top of apples and tuck in edges around apples.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate over the top of the pan and carefully invert to release tarte from the pan. Scrape any remaining apples stuck to the pan back on top of crust.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Peel and core the apples, then cut them into quarters.
• Spread the butter on the bottom of a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet. Mix the sugar, salt and vanilla together to evenly distribute the caviar. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the butter. Squeeze over the lemon juice.
• Place the apple quarters cut-side up on top. Remember, the bottom will become the top so make it look pretty. Put the pan over medium heat and cook until the sugar melts, caramelizes and begins to thicken. The apples will release their juices during this process, so it could take 10 to 15 minutes. If the juices start getting too dark, lower the heat a little.
• While the apples are cooking, take the puff pastry out of the fridge. Use a knife to cut a circle just big enough to fit over the top of the apples in the skillet. Keep chilled.
• When the sugar has caramelized, place the pastry circle over the apples, gently tucking in the sides. Transfer to the oven and bake until the pastry is risen and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
• Carefully turn the tarte tatin out onto a serving plate. Serve with whipped cream.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a heavy-bottom 10-inch ovenproof or cast-iron skillet, stir together the 3/4 cup sugar and the vinegar. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the skillet (save the vanilla bean for another use). Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is amber in color (like a brown paper bag). Remove from the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and swirl until the butter has melted. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Carefully arrange the apples over the sugar mixture in concentric circles, being careful not to touch the hot sugar mixture. Dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Place the puff pastry over the apples and tuck the sides down around the apples. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon sugar over the dough. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and crisp and the pan juices are bubbling. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a rimmed cake plate to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll pastry sheet into a 101/2-inch square on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin. Brush off excess flour and cut out a 10-inch round with a sharp knife, using a plate as a guide. Transfer round to a baking sheet and chill.
• Spread butter thickly on bottom and side of skillet and pour sugar evenly over bottom. Arrange as many apples as will fit vertically on sugar, packing them tightly in concentric circles. Apples will stick up above rim of skillet.
• Cook apples over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until juices are deep golden and bubbling, 18 to 25 minutes. (Don't worry if juices color unevenly.)
• Put skillet in middle of oven over a piece of foil to catch any drips. Bake 20 minutes (apples will settle slightly), then remove from oven and lay pastry round over apples.
• Bake tart until pastry is browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer skillet to a rack and cool at least 10 minutes.
• Just before serving, invert a platter with lip over skillet and, using potholders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert tart onto platter. Replace any apples that stick to skillet. (Don't worry if there are black spots; they won't affect the flavor of the tart.) Brush any excess caramel from skillet over apples. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Halve and core apples. Set aside one half. Quarter remaining apples and transfer to a large bowl. Squeeze lemon over apple slices and set aside.
• Combine sugar and water in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; immediately reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture begins to thicken and turn amber. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
• Place reserved apples in center of skillet. Decoratively arrange remaining apple slices, cut side up, in skillet around reserved apples. Continue layering slices until level with top of skillet. Cut any remaining apples into thick slices to fill in gaps. If fruit does not completely fill pan, tart will collapse when inverted.
• Place skillet over low heat and cook until syrup thickens and is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Do not let syrup burn. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
• Roll out pate brisee to a 10- to 11-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick; transfer to a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place pate brisee over apples and tuck edges. Transfer skillet to prepared baking sheet; transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 15 to 20 minutes. Loosen pastry from skillet using a sharp knife. Place a rimmed platter over skillet; quickly and carefully invert. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Mix sugar and melted butter and press evenly into greased 8" or 9" round cake pan.
• Put apples on their sides in rows decoratively around pan, packing closely together and filling small spaces with broken segments of apples.
• Sprinkle tops of apples lightly with cinnamon if desired.
• Bake uncovered at 425F about 1-1 ½ hours.
• If apples start to burn, they can be covered toward the end of the baking time.
• Meanwhile, unfold pastry sheet and cut to fit pan. Use another pan to trace shape if necessary.
• Poke fork holes into both sides of puff pastry sheet to allow air to escape while baking.
• Press pastry on top of baked apples, pushing edges down. Bake another 20 minutes.
• Cool partially, then invert to a platter. Serve warm.