Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin is an upside-down apple tart where caramelized apples sit on top when you invert it, their juices turned to glossy caramel. A sheet of pastry bakes underneath, then becomes the crust on top. The trick is cooking the apples in butter and sugar until they release their liquid and it turns golden, then baking them under pastry so it browns and crisps.

Ingredients for Tarte Tatin

Butter melts into the sugar to form caramel and keeps the apples from sticking to the pan. Granulated sugar caramelizes to coat the apples and the bottom of the tart. Granny Smith apples hold their shape through cooking and their tartness balances the sweet caramel. Vanilla extract deepens the apple flavor. All-purpose flour gives the pastry structure. Salt seasons the dough and brings out caramel flavor. Cold butter in the pastry creates a tender, flaky crust. Ice water brings the dough together without toughening it. Egg yolk brushed on top helps the pastry brown.

Why This Tarte Tatin Works

The apples cook in a pool of caramel before the pastry goes on top. As they soften, they release moisture that mixes with the sugar and butter, turning into a glossy, amber sauce. The apples settle into a single layer and caramelize on their cut sides, developing deep flavor.

The pastry bakes on top of the apples, shielded from direct heat so it browns gently without burning. By the time it is golden, the apples have cooked through and the caramel has thickened. When you invert the tart onto a plate, the pastry becomes the bottom crust and the apples and their caramel sit on top, still warm and glossy.

Mistakes To Avoid

Burning the caramel before the apples go in makes it taste bitter and turns the tart dark. Keep the heat at medium and watch the butter and sugar closely. Once it turns light amber, add the apples right away to stop the cooking.

Cooking the apples at too high a temperature causes them to break apart instead of staying in neat halves. Medium heat lets them soften gently and release their juice slowly so the caramel can thicken around them.

Underbaking the pastry leaves it pale and doughy instead of golden and crisp. Bake until it is deep golden brown on top, about 25 to 30 minutes. If the edges brown too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over them.

Inverting the tart while it is too cool makes the caramel set hard and stick to the pan. Turn it out within 5 minutes of removing it from the oven while the caramel is still warm and pliable.

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
• 6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved, and cored
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter (85 grams), cut into small cubes
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
• 1 egg yolk

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Add cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse sand with pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
2. Sprinkle ice water over the mixture one tablespoon at a time, stirring gently with a fork until the dough just comes together. Form it into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup sugar in a 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the sugar turns light amber, about 5 to 7 minutes. Watch it closely so it does not burn.
4. Remove from heat and arrange apple halves cut-side down in the caramel in a single layer, fitting them snugly. Sprinkle vanilla extract over the apples. Return to medium heat and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the apples soften and the caramel darkens to deep amber. Do not stir; let the caramel cook undisturbed.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
6. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to a circle slightly larger than the skillet, about 1/8 inch thick. Lay it over the apples and tuck the edges down into the pan around them.
7. Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush it over the pastry. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into the apples meets no resistance.
8. Let the tart cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a thin knife, place a large plate over the skillet, and flip it over in one quick motion so the tart lands pastry-side down on the plate. Lift off the skillet. If any apples stick to the pan, use a spatula to gently place them back on top of the tart.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature.