Tarte Tatin (French Upside-Down Caramelized Apple Tart)
Apples are cooked in butter and sugar on the stovetop until the caramel darkens to a deep amber, then a sheet of puff pastry is draped over the top and the whole pan goes into the oven. After baking, the tart is inverted onto a plate so the caramelized apples become the glossy, lacquered top. The long exposure to heat transforms the apples from firm slices into soft, butter-soaked segments that are nearly translucent. The caramel should be pushed slightly past golden - a faint bitterness at the edge of sweetness gives the tart its signature depth. Cutting the pastry slightly larger than the pan and tucking the edges down around the apples prevents juice from leaking during baking. The inversion must happen within a few minutes of leaving the oven, while the caramel is still liquid enough to release cleanly. Served warm with a spoon of creme fraiche, the contrast between the hot, sticky apples and the cool, tangy cream is the defining experience of this dessert.
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Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 200°C.
- 2
Melt butter in an oven-safe skillet and cook sugar to a golden caramel.
- 3
Arrange peeled apple slices tightly over the caramel.
- 4
Cover with pastry and bake 25 minutes. Cool briefly, then invert onto a plate.
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