Easy Tarte Tatin Cooks Illustrated Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a wide skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and salt and whisk to combine. Add the apples to the caramel mixture and gently stir together, coating the apples in the caramel. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are slightly tender, 5 to 8 minutes depending on the size of your apples. Note: If the mixture begins to get too thick, add some water to loosen it up.
• Transfer the apples to a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet and arrange them cut-side up, making sure to evenly cover the bottom of the skillet. Drizzle half the caramel sauce over the apples, then return the caramel to the heat and cook until thick and glossy, another 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Roughly measure and cut the puff pastry sheet to approximately the size of the top of the skillet. Place the puff pastry on top of the apples and gently tuck the sides in ever so slightly. Cut the remaining scraps of puff pastry and evenly spread across the top (this will give the tarte tatin some volume).
• Bake until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, invert a plate on top and quickly (but carefully) flip onto the plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and the remaining caramel sauce.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, place the flours, sugar and butter. Pulse 5 or 6 times in 1/2-second bursts to break up the butter. Add the shortening, turn on the machine and immediately add the ice water, pulsing 2 or 3 times. The dough should look like a mass of smallish lumps and should just hold together in a mass when a handful is pressed together. If the mixture is too dry, pulse in more water by droplets.
• Turn the dough out onto the work surface and with the heel of your hand, rapidly and roughly push egg-size blobs into a 6-inch smear. Gather the dough into a relatively smooth cake, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).
• Slice the halved apples into 4 lengthwise wedges each, and toss in a large bowl with the lemon juice and zest and 1/2 cup sugar. Drain the apples after macerating 20 minutes.
• In a 9-inch skillet melt the butter over high heat. Stir in the remaining sugar and cook until the syrup bubbles and caramelizes, and turns a brown color. Remove the pan from the heat and arrange a layer of apple slices in a neat pattern on the caramel in the skillet, then arrange the remaining apples neatly on top.
• Return the pan to moderately high heat and cook for about 25 minutes, covering the pan after 10 minutes. Every few minutes press down on the apples and baste them with the exuded juices. When the juices are thick and syrupy, remove the pan from the heat.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a circle, 3/16-inch thick and 1-inch larger than the top of the pan. Drape the dough over the apples, pressing the edge of the dough between the apples and the inside of the pan. Cut 4 small steam holes on the top of the dough. Bake until the pastry has browned and crisped, about 20 minutes.
• Unmold the tart onto a serving dish (so the pastry is on the bottom), and serve warm or cold with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Stir together the sugar and vanilla bean seeds in a small bowl. Using your hands, press the butter as evenly as you can into a 10-inch ovenproof skillet and sprinkle the vanilla sugar on top.
• Arrange the apple halves standing upright, with the rounded sides facing outward, in a tight concentric circle around the skillet. Repeat until the skillet is completely filled.
• Place the skillet over medium heat and cook until a golden brown caramel forms, 20 to 30 minutes. It's ok if the caramel is a little patchy. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, roll the pie dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface. Roll onto a rolling pin then unroll it over the skillet. Carefully tuck any overhanging dough inside the skillet.
• Bake until the apples are bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then carefully flip onto a serving dish. Cut the tarte tatin into wedges and serve with whipped cream.
• Combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse until the chunks of butter are broken down to the size of peas and the flour feels like wet sand.
• Add 1/4 cup of the ice water and process until the dough comes together easily. If the dough immediately clumps apart, pulse in 2 more tablespoons of ice water at a time. Remember, you can always add more water but not more flour, so be careful not to add too much water at once.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each into a ball. Loosely wrap each ball in plastic wrap and flatten the dough into a disk about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Steps:

• At least one day before you plan to cook the tart, prepare the apples: Slice off the bottom of each apple so it has a flat base. Peel and quarter the apples. Use a small sharp knife to trim the hard cores and seeds from the center of each quarter; don't worry about being too neat. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, lightly covered, for at least one day or up to three days. (This key step reduces the amount of liquid in the tart. Don't worry if the apples turn brown; they will be browned during the cooking anyway.)
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 375 degrees (or 350 if using convection). Thickly coat the bottom of a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably nonstick metal, with butter. Sprinkle sugar evenly on top.
• Cut one piece of apple into a thick round disk and place in the center of the skillet to serve as the "button." Arrange the remaining apple pieces, each one standing on its flat end, in concentric circles around the button. Keep the pieces close together so that they support one another, standing upright. They will look like the petals of a flower.
• On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry about 1/8-inch thick. Place an upside-down bowl or pan on the pastry and use the tip of a sharp knife to cut out a circle about the same size as the top of your skillet. Lift out the circle and drape gently over the apples. Use your hands to tuck the pastry around the apple pieces, hugging them together firmly.
• Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until golden-brown juice begins to bubble around the edges, 3 minutes (if the juices keep rising, spoon out as needed to remain level with pastry). If necessary, raise the heat so that the juices are at a boil. Keep cooking until the juices are turning darker brown and smell caramelized, no longer than 10 minutes more.
• Transfer skillet to the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until puff pastry is browned and firm.
• Let cool 5 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a round serving plate. (Or, if not serving immediately, let cool completely in the pan; when ready to serve, rewarm for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven before turning out.) If any apples remain stuck in the pan, gently use your fingers or a spatula to retrieve them, and rearrange on the pastry shell. Cut in wedges and serve warm with heavy cream, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Coat a 10-inch oven-proof skillet with butter. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the top of the butter.
• Place apple quarters, rounded sides down, on top of the butter and sugar in a circular pattern.
• Place skillet over medium-high heat and cook until butter melts and sugar dissolves and begins to caramelize. Continue to cook until apples soften and caramel begins to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Sprinkle work surface with flour and roll pie dough into an 11-inch circle. Pinch edge to create a ruffle around crust.
• Place crust on top of apples and tuck in edges around apples.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate over the top of the pan and carefully invert to release tarte from the pan. Scrape any remaining apples stuck to the pan back on top of crust.

Steps:

• Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick round on a lightly floured surface and cut a 24cm circle, using a plate as a guide. Lightly prick all over with a fork, place on a baking sheet, then cover and freeze while preparing the apples.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Put the sugar in a flameproof 20cm ceramic tatin dish or a 20cm ovenproof heavy-based frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Cook the sugar for 5-7 mins to a dark amber caramel syrup that's starting to smoke, then turn off the heat and stir in the 60g diced chilled butter.
• To assemble the tarte tatin, arrange the apple quarters very tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish first, rounded-side down, then fill in the middle in a similar fashion. Gently press with your hands to ensure there are no gaps. Brush the fruit with the melted butter.
• Bake in the oven for 30 mins, then remove and place the disc of frozen puff pastry on top - it will quickly defrost. Tuck the edges down the inside of the dish and, with a knife, prick a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake for a further 40-45 mins until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
• Allow to cool to room temperature for 1 hr before running a knife around the edge of the dish and inverting it onto a large serving plate that is deep enough to contain the juices. Serve with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• Adjust rack to middle position in oven and then heat to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the puff pastry on the parchment. Bake until golden brown and puffed, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter; press lightly to flatten if domed.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a 12-inch, nonstick skillet over high heat. Remove the pan from heat and spinkle evenly with the sugar. Lay the apples in the skillet. Return to heat. Cook, stirring apples halfway through, until the juices in the pan turn a rich amber color and apples are carmelized, about 15 minutes.
• Remove apples from the pan one at a time. Arrange them in overlapping rows on the pastry square, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spoon about half of the pan juices over the apples.
• Whisk the cream and Grand Marnier (if using) into the remaining juices in the pan. Bring to a simmer. Pour some sauce over the tart just before serving, passing the remaining sauce separately.
• FOR PEAR TATIN: Substitute 2 lbs. pears (about 4) for the apples. You may need to increase the carmelization time to 20-25 minutes. Use Poire William instead of Grand Marnier if using a liquor.
• LIQUOR OPTION FOR APPLES: Cognac. I believe it is a classically French pairing with apple desserts. It's not the Cook's Illustrated version, tho, if you want to use strictly their recipe. I used it in a different tart recipe once, and it was awesome. Thanks to the first reviewer for this idea!

Steps:

• Cut one half cup of butter into small chunks and chill thoroughly.
• Combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in the food processor. Add the chilled butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and pulse for several seconds until the dough comes together. Turn out onto the counter and shape into a disc. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate thirty minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining half cup of butter in 9-inch skillet with the granulated sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the caramel begins to brown and turn amber gold. Increase the heat to medium high and add the apple slices. Saute until slightly transparent, about five minutes. Remove from the heat and arrange the apples in a rosette pattern in the skillet (it may be easiest to transfer most of the slices to a bowl and add them back in as the rosette is formed.) Set aside and preheat the oven to 425°.
• Unwrap the chilled dough and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Gently roll into a ten to twelve inch circle, using sugar liberally on the work surface to prevent the pastry from sticking. Carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer to the top of the caramelized apples. Tuck the crust around the edges of the skillet to seal in the apples, folding the excess over.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown, about twenty to twenty five minutes. Let the skillet cool for an additional twenty minutes before carefully running a knife around the edge to loosen the pastry. Place the serving plate over the top of the skillet, invert and remove the skillet. Gently rearrange any apples stuck to the skillet back into the pastry. Serve the tarte tatin warm with vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C/gas 5. Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour and roll out your puff pastry until it's just over 1/4-inch/0.5cm thick. This will be enough to cover the ovenproof frying pan you'll be cooking the tarte Tatin in, leaving about 2 inches/5 cm extra around the edge. Put the pastry to one side for now. Peel your apples, then halve them horizontally and use a teaspoon to get rid of the seeds and core. Put the ovenproof pan on a medium heat and add the sugar, Calvados, vanilla seeds, and pod. Let the sugar dissolve and cook until the mixture forms a light caramel. Once the caramel looks and smells delicious - it should be a lovely chestnut brown - add your halved apples. Carefully stir everything in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until the apples start to soften and you get a toffee apple vibe happening. Add the cubed butter, then lay the pastry over the top. Quickly and carefully tuck the pastry down right into the edges - it's best to use a wooden spoon so you don't touch the caramel. Bake the tarte Tatin for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden, with crispy caramelly pieces bubbling up from under the edges. Take it out of the oven. To make it look like a tarte Tatin you need to turn it out, which isn't hard - but you do need to be careful with that hot caramel. So get a serving plate or board larger than your pan and put an oven glove on to protect the arm holding the board. Put the board or plate on top of the pan, then quickly, carefully and confidently turn it out (remember you can go to www.jamieoliver.com/how-to and see a video of how to do this safely). Put it to one side for a few minutes, so the caramel can cool down, then divide it up and serve with a spoonful of creme fraiche or ice cream.

Steps:

• To make the pastry dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all the ingredients for the dough and mix at low speed until just smooth. Gather the dough into a ball (it will be quite soft), flatten to a thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• When ready to bake the tart, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare the apples. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with straight sides or a 9-inch cake pan. Sprinkle the bottom with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Arrange the apples neatly in the pan, rounded side down. Sprinkle them with the remaining sugar and dot with the remaining butter.
• On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a disk just slightly larger than the tart pan. Cover the apples with the pastry, tucking the edges of the dough over the apples. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the dough with some of the egg yolk.
• Bake the tart in the middle of the oven until the dough is very lightly browned and the apples are just tender when poked through the dough with the tip of a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes.
• Place a serving plate upside down on top of the tart pan. Using kitchen mitts, grasp the edges of the plate and the pan and quickly invert the pan. Remove the pan. Cut the tart into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

Steps:

• To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter. Rub the flour and butter together between your fingers until most of the butter is incorporated and only pea-size pieces remain.
• Whisk together the egg yolk and water. Add to the flour mixture and stir until dough begins to come together. Use your hands to gently press the dough into a ball. Refrigerate until firm but not hard, about 30 minutes (if making ahead, let dough stand at room temperature until pliable but still cold). Do not roll out until just before the tarte Tatin's fruit is finished cooking.
• To roll out the pastry, flour a work surface and a rolling pin well. Divide the dough in half (freeze the remaining dough if not needed). Pat the dough into a flat disk with your hands. Roll the dough into a circle that is almost 1/4 inch thick, flouring the surface under the dough and the rolling pin frequently to prevent sticking.
• Carefully place the pastry round over the fruit in the skillet (see Tarte Tatin recipes). Trim the dough to 1/2 inch larger than the skillet. Tuck the overhanging dough in around the fruit.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Peel apple, halve lengthwise, and core. Using a 1-cup ramekin (3 1/4 inches across and 2 1/4 inches deep) as a guide, cut out 2 rounds from pastry sheet.
• In a 7-inch heavy skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and stir in brown sugar and water. Add apple halves and cook, turning frequently, 3 minutes. In two 1-cup ramekins set on a baking sheet arrange apple halves, cored sides up, and top evenly with sauce.
• Top apples with pastry rounds, letting edges of pastry hang over sides of apples. Bake tarts in middle of oven for 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown, and cool on a rack 5 minutes. Working with 1 ramekin at a time, invert a plate over each ramekin and invert ramekin onto plate. Carefully lift off ramekins.
• Serve tarts with ice cream.

Steps:

• Mix sugar and melted butter and press evenly into greased 8" or 9" round cake pan.
• Put apples on their sides in rows decoratively around pan, packing closely together and filling small spaces with broken segments of apples.
• Sprinkle tops of apples lightly with cinnamon if desired.
• Bake uncovered at 425F about 1-1 ½ hours.
• If apples start to burn, they can be covered toward the end of the baking time.
• Meanwhile, unfold pastry sheet and cut to fit pan. Use another pan to trace shape if necessary.
• Poke fork holes into both sides of puff pastry sheet to allow air to escape while baking.
• Press pastry on top of baked apples, pushing edges down. Bake another 20 minutes.
• Cool partially, then invert to a platter. Serve warm.

Steps:

• To make the dough in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until reduced to ½ inch pieces. Add the water a little at a time and pulse until the dough just begins to come together in a rough mass.
• To make the dough by hand, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and shortening and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the pieces of fat into the flour mixture until they are no larger than small peas. Distribute the water over the mixture and toss with a fork until the dough is evenly moist and begins to come together in a rough mass.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape into a 5-inch disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.
• Lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll out the chilled dough into a 12-inch round a scant ¼ inch think. Lift and turn the dough several times as you roll to prevent s sticking, and dust the surface and rolling pin with additional flour as needed. Use a dough scraper or icing spatula to loosen the pastry if it sticks. Trim this dough into an 11-inch round. Slide a rimless baking sheet under the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.
• To make the filling, set a 10-inch straight-sided, ovenproof fry pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat and melt the butter. When it melts, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the butter and continue cooking until the sugar melts and turns amber colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Shake and swirl the pan frequently to redistribute the sugar for even melting and caramelization.
• Arrange the apples, side up, in the caramel in a snug, even layer. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the apples are just tender about 15 minutes. The caramel will bubble up around the apples. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Uncover the pastry round. When the bubbling has subsided, slide both hands under the pastry round and carefully place it on top of the apples, tucking in the edges and being careful not to burn your fingers. Bake until the crust is golden brown. About 30 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 6 minutes. Place a large flat serving plate upside down on top of the pan and invert the pan and plate together. Lift off the pan. Slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
• ***It's really not essential to take this apple creation from your skillet - serve it from your cast iron and you'll feel authentic. Kinda romantic to be so casual about something so yummy.

Steps:

• Peel, core& quarter apples; toss with lemon juice& 2 tbsp of the sugar.
• Let stand& toss again so that sugar is completely dissolved.
• In a 10 inch ovenproof skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
• Sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over butter.
• Stir just until sugar is dissolved& remove from heat.
• Place as many apple wedges as you can into the pan.
• They will actually stand on end but thats OK since they will shrink as the tarte cooks.
• Place the pan back over medium heat and cook the apples for 20- 25 minutes or until syrup has formed a thickened caramel.
• Cool slightly.
• Gently roll out pie shell (or puff pastry) to fit slightly larger than the pan.
• Place over the pan, trim edges& bake in preheated 400F oven for 20- 25 minutes or until pastry is crisp.
• Turn out onto a large platter& serve.