Apple Tart Tatin

 Apple Tart Tatin has apples caramelized in butter and sugar, topped with a puff pastry crust, then baked until tender. The tart is served “upside down” to show off the gorgeous glistening baked fruit.

What is Tart Tatin?

It’s a famous French dessert named after Caroline and Stéphanie Tatin – sisters who ran Hôtel Tatin, a hotel and restaurant across from a train station in the village of Lamotte-Beuvron, located about a hundred miles south of Paris.

The story goes that Stéphanie accidentally created Tart Tatin (pronounced ‘tart ta-TAN’) while making an apple tart, when she accidentally put the apples in the tart pan before the pastry crust.  Not wanting to waste food, she flipped the baked tart onto a platter – and the glistening Apple Tart Tatin was an instant hit!

An Easy and Elegant Dessert

Apple Tart Tatin is elegant – and surprisingly easy to make with just four key ingredients! Apples are nestled in a skillet along with a simple caramel sauce made with salted butter and sugar.

The apples and sauce are partially baked – then topped with puff pastry and baked again until the pastry is golden brown, and the apples are tender. Carefully invert the tart onto a platter before serving in wedges with scoop of vanilla ice cream.

• It’s a simply heavenly dessert with sweet apples in a butter caramel sauce.
• Your dinner guests will be so impressed when serving this tart – but you don’t have to tell them how easy it is to make.
• This is a perfect Fall dessert to make with freshly-picked apples from the orchard.

• Granulated Sugar – The sugar is combined with butter to create the simple caramel sauce.
• Butter – Choose salted butter for this recipe. That touch of salt in the butter complements the overall sweetness of this recipe and it enhances the flavor of the caramel sauce.
• Apples – Choose baking apples that hold their shape even after they are cooked such as Braeburn, Honey Crisp, or Granny Smith. We used Honey Crisp apples in the photos you see in this post.
• Puff Pastry – While you can certainly make your own, keep things easy and buy a box of frozen puff pastry. (You’ll thaw it to room temperature before using in this recipe.)
• Vanilla Ice Cream – For serving. Unsweetened whipped cream is another good option for serving, as well as our Vanilla Custard Sauce.

1. Melt the sugar in the skillet over a very low heat until liquid. (Be patient – Just let it heat and melt until golden and caramelized without stirring.)
2. Stir butter into the caramelized sugar, then set aside.
3. Peel and quarter apples then cut out the core in each piece.
4. Place apple quarters cut down into caramel. (Be careful – avoid touching the hot caramel sauce with your fingers.)
5. Bake the apples and sauce partially – about twenty minutes.
6. Cover the top of the skillet with a 12-inch round puff pastry circle that has been pricked with a fork.
7. Bake again until the pastry is golden and the apples are tender.
8. Invert onto a serving platter.
9. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.

• Can I make Tarte Tatin ahead of time?  This certainly can be made in advance and served cold or at room temperature – but warm out of the oven, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is really the best option.
• How do I store leftovers?  Cover the platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to four days. Note that the puff pastry crust will begin to absorb liquid over time and get soggy, but it will still be delicious.
• How do I reheat leftovers? You could reheat individual portions for a few seconds in the microwave, then serve warm with ice cream.
• Can I freeze it?  We don’t recommend it.

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