Tarte Tatin with Puff Pastry

I am a sucker for fresh produce. My checkbook trembles in fear when I go to a farmers market; there is always something that looks so good that I have to buy it. What happens when I go to an apple orchard? Especially a you-pick apple orchard? I wind up with a lot of apples.
*A LOT of apples.

What do I do with all those apples? Here is a quick, easy tarte tatin recipe that I learned while I was on my trip to Provence.* Tarte tatin, an upside down apple pie, is a great example of simple French cooking. Butter, sugar, apples, lemon juice and puff pastry - that's it, and the results are better than any apple pie I've ever made.
*Did I mention that I spent a week in a cooking class in Provence? Yes? Well, it still makes me happy just thinking about it.

Now, I'm not a dessert kind of guy. Don't get me wrong, I like dessert. I won't turn it down if it is offered. But, in the end, I'd rather eat more of the main course and pass on dessert.
*Diane, my loving wife, is exactly the opposite. She's the baker in our household, and has quite a sweet tooth. When I need a dessert, I ask her to do it.

That's why this is the first dessert published on DadCooksDinner - I don't make dessert that often. But I'll admit, when I'm entertaining, I like to have something sweet as the final course for my guests. When Diane isn't making dessert, I turn to this five ingredient recipe.*
*OK, there are six ingredients if you count a tub of good vanilla ice cream. And, really, if you're going to make an apple tart, you don't want to forget the ice cream.

The key is the puff pastry; it makes this recipe almost laughably easy. Thaw the puff pastry, and it is ready to top the caramelized sugar and apples. No fussing with a dough, no rolling, no resting; just a quick slash with a knife, and fifteen minutes in the oven to brown.

📖 Recipe Card

Tarte Tatin with Puff Pastry

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

An easy French upside-down apple tart: apples cooked in buttery caramel, topped with store-bought puff pastry, baked, then flipped onto a platter.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x

• 4 large apples (or 6 medium)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 6 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

---

Instructions

1. Thaw the puff pastry: 45 minutes before cooking, set the puff pastry on the counter, covered with plastic wrap, to thaw. (Or thaw it in the refrigerator for 4 hours.) Once it's thawed, unfold it and cover it again.
2. Prep the apples: Heat the oven to 450°F. Peel the apples, cut them into quarters, and trim out the cores and stems. Toss with the lemon juice in a medium bowl.
3. Caramelize the sugar: Melt the butter in a 10 inch oven-safe nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the sugar, and stir often. It will look dry and sandy at first - keep stirring until it turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Watch it closely; it changes color fast.
4. Cook the apples: Arrange the apples in the caramel in a spiral, cut side down. Cover, and cook for 6 minutes, until the apples are browned on the bottom and getting soft.
5. Top with pastry and bake: Turn off the heat, and remove the lid. Drape the puff pastry over the pan, and carefully tuck the edges in around the apples (the sugar is hot!). Cut a few slits in the pastry. Bake for 15 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and browned.
6. Flip and serve: Let the tart rest for 5 minutes, then run a spatula around the edge of the pan. Hold a serving platter over the pan, and flip them over together in one quick motion. Lift off the pan, let the tart rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Notes

Equipment: A 10 inch nonstick frying pan with an oven-safe handle and a lid.

When flipping the tart, he who hesitates is lost - one smooth, quick motion.

Apples: Any good baking apple works. I like a mix of sweet (Golden Delicious, Fuji) and tart (Granny Smith, Macoun). The only apple I avoid is Red Delicious, which gets mealy.

I just plop the pastry on and tuck in the corners. If you want it neater, trim the pastry into a circle first.

Big tart: Use 6 to 8 apples, a stick of butter and 1 cup sugar in a 12 inch pan, and roll the pastry out a little to fit.

Apple pie flavor: Stir ½ teaspoon cinnamon into the caramel just before adding the apples.

Adapted from Patrick Payet of Famous Provence.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Thaw pastry: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes

What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

Adapted from:
Patrick Payet, Famous Provence

*Enjoyed this post?  Want to help out DadCooksDinner?  Subscribe using your RSS reader or by Email, recommend DadCooksDinner to your friends, or buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site.  Thank you!