the tarte tatin – my autumn favourite

When the apples are freshly picked and the temperatures begin to drop, we reach for our favorite comfort food, the tarte tatin.

I love making tarte tatin, or upside down apple tart. I love to eat tarte tatin too! The mix of freshly picked apples, cooked in butter and sugar and then baked beneath a pastry crust is a heavenly combination.

At this time of year when the apple trees are giving so generously, and we’re all getting into end of year-hibernating mode, this tart is true comfort food, and it is very easy to make.

To make the tart you will need:

Ingredients

6 – 8 good sized apples, peeled, cored and halved.

1/2 cup or 100g sugar

Making the pastry

A portion of your favorite pastry, I use a slightly flaky pastry at home. My current favorite recipe uses 200g plain flour, with 180g butter, a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of sugar rubbed roughly. To make the pastry form a ball, and work as quickly as possible, use 1 egg yolk with 1/3 cup of milk? Knife the ingredients together, form a ball then roll it out to fit the tart mold.

Make the apple filling

Prepare your apples, by peeling, coring and halving them. Scatter evenly the butter and sugar into the base of a heavy duty shallow pan that can be put over the heat and also be used in the oven. I have a cast iron skillet with a removable handle.

Place the apple halves all over the base of the pan, making sure they are placed evenly. Place over the heat and allow the butter and sugar to melt and start to caramelise. At this point you need to keep a close eye on the apples so they cook evenly without burning. The best is to turn them regularly using two forks.

Once the apples begin to soften and the caramel is a deep golden color, it’s time to pop the tart into the oven. Carefully position your rolled pastry over the apples, tucking in the edges like a blanket.

Pop into a pre-heated oven and bake until golden. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for a few minutes then carefully reverse onto a serving plate.

Bring to the table still warm and prepare for the cheers of joy and appreciation. This is a good one!

You can also see a video of making this tart on Instagram, HERE.