Tarte Tatin
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
1½ hours, plus 30 minutes chilling and 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
1 ⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surfaces¼ cup confectioners' sugar ½ teaspoon table salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces1 large egg (cold), beatenCaramelized Apples
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon3 pounds (1361 grams) Granny Smith apples (about 6 large 8-ounce [227 grams] apples), peeled, quartered, and coredCream Topping
1 cup heavy cream, cold½ cup sour cream, coldBefore You Begin
If the caramel isn’t cooked to a rich amber color, the apples will look pale and dull rather than shiny and appealingly caramelized.
Instructions
- Mix flour, sugar, and salt in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter over dry ingredients; process until mixture resembles cornmeal, 7 to 12 seconds. Turn mixture into medium bowl; add egg and stir with fork until little balls form. Press balls together with back of fork, then gather dough into ball with hands. Wrap in plastic, then flatten into 4-inch disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (Can be refrigerated overnight; let stand at room temperature to warm slightly before further use.)
- Unwrap dough and turn out onto well-floured work surface. Sprinkle with additional flour. Starting from disk center outward, roll dough into 12-inch circle, strewing flour underneath to prevent sticking. Slide lightly floured, rimless cookie sheet or pizza peel under crust (see illustration 1), cover with plastic, and refrigerate while preparing apples. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Melt butter in 9-inch skillet or tarte Tatin pan; remove from heat and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Following illustrations 2 through 3, arrange apples in skillet.
- Return skillet to high heat; cook until juices turn from butterscotch to rich amber color, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using fork or tip of paring knife, turn apples onto uncaramelized sides (illustration 4). Return skillet to highest heat; boil to cook uncaramelized sides of apples, about 5 minutes longer.
- Remove skillet from heat. Slide prepared dough over skillet (illustration 5), and, taking care not to burn fingers, tuck dough edges gently against skillet wall (illustration 6).
- Bake until crust is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Set skillet on wire rack; let cool about 20 minutes. Loosen edges with knife, place serving plate over top of skillet (illustration 7), turn tart upside-down, then remove skillet (illustration 8). Scrape out any apples that stick to skillet and put them back into place. (Tart can be kept for several hours at room temperature, but unmold it onto dish that can withstand mild heat. Before serving, warm tart for 10 minutes in 200-degree oven.)
- With electric mixer, beat cold heavy cream and sour cream at medium-high speed until mixture thickens and holds soft but definite peaks. (Topping can be made a day ahead; cover and refrigerate.) Accompany each wedge of tart with generous dollop of topping.
for the pastry
for the filling
for the topping
Time
1½ hours, plus 30 minutes chilling and 20 minutes coolingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Pastry Dough
1 ⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surfaces
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large egg (cold), beaten
Caramelized Apples
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
3 pounds (1361 grams) Granny Smith apples (about 6 large 8-ounce [227 grams] apples), peeled, quartered, and cored
Cream Topping
1 cup heavy cream, cold
½ cup sour cream, cold
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
1 ⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surfaces
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large egg (cold), beaten
Caramelized Apples
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
3 pounds (1361 grams) Granny Smith apples (about 6 large 8-ounce [227 grams] apples), peeled, quartered, and cored
Cream Topping
1 cup heavy cream, cold
½ cup sour cream, cold
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
1 ⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surfaces
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large egg (cold), beaten
Caramelized Apples
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
3 pounds (1361 grams) Granny Smith apples (about 6 large 8-ounce [227 grams] apples), peeled, quartered, and cored
Cream Topping
1 cup heavy cream, cold
½ cup sour cream, cold
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
The first step of our tarte Tatin recipe was on the stovetop, not in the oven. We arranged apple quarters in concentric circles in a skillet on their cut side so we could fit more fruit, and flipped the apples over as they caramelized. We prepared the caramel right in the skillet with the apples so the flavors melded and the apples were boiled in the buttery caramel sauce until they absorbed the syrup and become virtually candied. We then covered the syrup-soaked apples with an egg pastry that contained confectioners' sugar rather than granulated sugar, which can make the dough grainy. After baking our tarte Tatin recipe, we flipped the tart over, revealing concentric circles of apples glazed with golden caramel.
Before You Begin
If the caramel isn’t cooked to a rich amber color, the apples will look pale and dull rather than shiny and appealingly caramelized.
Instructions
- Mix flour, sugar, and salt in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter over dry ingredients; process until mixture resembles cornmeal, 7 to 12 seconds. Turn mixture into medium bowl; add egg and stir with fork until little balls form. Press balls together with back of fork, then gather dough into ball with hands. Wrap in plastic, then flatten into 4-inch disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (Can be refrigerated overnight; let stand at room temperature to warm slightly before further use.)
- Unwrap dough and turn out onto well-floured work surface. Sprinkle with additional flour. Starting from disk center outward, roll dough into 12-inch circle, strewing flour underneath to prevent sticking. Slide lightly floured, rimless cookie sheet or pizza peel under crust (see illustration 1), cover with plastic, and refrigerate while preparing apples. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Melt butter in 9-inch skillet or tarte Tatin pan; remove from heat and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Following illustrations 2 through 3, arrange apples in skillet.
- Return skillet to high heat; cook until juices turn from butterscotch to rich amber color, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using fork or tip of paring knife, turn apples onto uncaramelized sides (illustration 4). Return skillet to highest heat; boil to cook uncaramelized sides of apples, about 5 minutes longer.
- Remove skillet from heat. Slide prepared dough over skillet (illustration 5), and, taking care not to burn fingers, tuck dough edges gently against skillet wall (illustration 6).
- Bake until crust is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Set skillet on wire rack; let cool about 20 minutes. Loosen edges with knife, place serving plate over top of skillet (illustration 7), turn tart upside-down, then remove skillet (illustration 8). Scrape out any apples that stick to skillet and put them back into place. (Tart can be kept for several hours at room temperature, but unmold it onto dish that can withstand mild heat. Before serving, warm tart for 10 minutes in 200-degree oven.)
- With electric mixer, beat cold heavy cream and sour cream at medium-high speed until mixture thickens and holds soft but definite peaks. (Topping can be made a day ahead; cover and refrigerate.) Accompany each wedge of tart with generous dollop of topping.
for the pastry
for the filling
for the topping
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments