Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Apple Tarte Tatin

I'm a chocolate dessert kind of girl. If it's not chocolate, preferably dark chocolate, I usually can't be bothered. There are a few exceptions to this rule. One of those exceptions is an apple tarte tatin so when I was flipping through the latest issue of Cooking Light, enjoying all the fall flavors that are on their way, and I happened upon a recipe for tarte tatin, I knew I had to make it. The boyfriend has deemed this recipe a certain keeper and the smell that it filled my kitchen with as the sugar caramelized at the bottom of my cast iron pan is divine. 

Apple Tarte Tatin
Adapted from Cooking Light October 2008
Serves 6 - 8 depending on slice size

Crust
1 cup flour
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
6 T unsalted butter
2 T ice water

Filling
3 pounds small gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t salt
2 T unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar

Place flour, sugar and salt for the crust in a food processor and pulse to combine. Cut 6 T butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Pulse until mixture becomes crumbly. Add ice water and pulse until clumps start to form. Dump out the contents of the food processor onto a piece of saran wrap, form a disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Mix the apples with the lemon juice and 1/4 t salt and set aside. Melt 2 T butter in a 9 1/2" cast-iron pan and add 3/4 cup sugar. Melt, stirring constantly, until the sugar and butter become liquid and start to caramelize. Remove the pan from heat and arrange half of the apple slices in a circle with the rounded side down. Cover with the remaining apple slices with their rounded sides up (as shown below). Return the pan to medium heat and cook for 15 minutes. Again, remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400* and roll out the pie dough to a 10 - 11" circle. Cover the apple mixture with the dough, tucking the overhang down under the apples. Cut a few vents for steam and bake for 45 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before inverting on a plate to serve, apple side up and enjoy!



11 comments:

Hopie said...

Mmmm, I love apple desserts! Looks delicious and not too difficult! I can see why it's a keeper. :-)

Meg said...

What a wonderful Fall dessert! The pictures are beautiful and make me want some warm apples.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Your apple dessert looks so beautiful and so wonderful for fall. A dessert that definitely makes you feel warm and cozy!

Apples and Butter said...

Hopie - you're right, it's not difficult at all. The most time consuming part is prepping the apples, but it's definitely worth it!

Meg and Kathering - as much as I have to see summer go, I can totally comfort my warm-weather yearnings with great fall food like this. What are your favorite fall foods?

Unknown said...

yummm... fabulous!

Maria said...

Apples are in season and I am loving them! Your dessert looks amazing!

Amanda said...

Oh MY!! That looks absolutely divine! I just visited the apple orchard over the weekend and have an overabundance of apples (we couldn't stop picking!), so I will definitely be trying this. Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Anonymous said...

I saw that recipe too and have bookmarked it to try! Yours looks fantastic!

GF in Cleveland said...

Thanks for welcoming me to the blog roll!

This looks delicious. I'm going apple picking next weekend and hopefully whatever I end up making will end up as pretty as yours!

The Food Librarian said...

This looks great! I'm going to have to try this.

Patsyk said...

That looks wonderful! Beautiful dessert - I prefer chocolate too, but I'd definitely be hard pressed to keep from devouring this one!