Tarte Tatin

A delicious combination of apple, caramel, and rough puff pastry make this dessert a definite crowd pleaser

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword Non-yeasted

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 2 15

Servings

1/2 recipe of rough puff pastry dough recipe link above in notes, you can also use 1 sheet of store bought puff-pastry
3 lbs Pink Lady apples around 7-8 medium sized apples, any firm baking apple will work
200 grams maple syrup
74 grams brandy, apple brandy if you have it
8 grams apple cider vinegar
3 grams kosher salt
200 grams sugar
43 grams unsalted butter 3 tbsp
AP flour, for rolling dough out

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit
Slice a layer off of the top and bottom of each apple so they stand upright. Peel the apples and then cut in half from top to bottom. Using a paring knife, cut the core and stem out of each apple and stand the apple halves upright in the skillet.
In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, brandy, and half of the apple cider vinegar. Pour the mixture over the apples and add a pinch of salt on top. Cover the skillet with aluminum foil and crimp the edges to create a tight seal.
Bake for an hour or until a toothpick slides easily through the apple. The apples should be cooked but not so much that they're mushy. Transfer the apples to a large plate and chill in the fridge until cold, at least 20 minutes. If chilling longer than 20 minutes, cover the apples.
Leaving the juices from the apples in the pan, place the skillet on the stove and heat over medium-low heat, swirling the pan regularly. Cook until the mixture has thickened up and resembles a syrup, around 3 minutes. Transfer the syrup to heat proof container and set aside. Rinse and dry the skillet

Sprinkle a few spoonfuls of the sugar across the bottom of the skillet in an even layer and cook over medium-low heat undisturbed until most of the sugar has melted into a clear liquid, around 4 minutes
Sprinkle a few more spoonfuls of sugar, stirring the sides of the skillet with a heatproof spatula. Once the sugar has mostly melted, add a few more spoonfuls of sugar and repeat until all of the sugar is used and melted, around 6-8 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the sugar turns a deep gold color, moves easily and releases small wisps of smoke. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the butter one piece at a time. Once all of the butter has been added, stir in the salt and the other half of the apple cider vinegar and set skillet aside until caramel has hardened, around 15 minutes.

Place the chilled apple halves round side down in the skillet. Try to keep gaps between the apples to a minimum. Place skillet in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 425 with a rack in the center.
Remove the rough puff or store bought pastry from the fridge and let sit for 5 minutes. Unwrap the dough and place on a floured work surface.
Beat the dough with a rolling pin to help make it more pliable. Dust the dough with flour as needed and roll out to a 12-inch round shape. Set an 11-inch plate over the top of the dough and cut around it to create an 11-inch round piece of pastry dough. Using the tines of a fork, prick all over the pastry round.
Drape the pastry over the apples and using your hands or a large spoon, tuck the edges of the dough down between the apples and the sides of the skillet. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill.
Bake the tart for 20 minutes.
Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake until the pastry is puffy and golden brown all over and the caramel is bubbling up around the sides of the skillet.
Let the tarte rest in the skillet for 10 minutes.
Over a sink, invert the tart onto a wire cooling rack. While the tart is still warm, use a pastry brush to generously brush the tarte with the syrup made earlier. Slide the tarte onto a plate and serve warm.