Tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert that combines sweet and tart flavors in one delicious dish. The traditional recipe consists of apples, sugar, butter, and pastry dough baked together to create a caramelized top with a golden-brown crust. It’s a trendy dessert that has been around for centuries and is enjoyed by people worldwide.

Brief History and Origin

The story of Tarte Tatin dates back to the late 1800s when it was created by two sisters from the Loire Valley in France: Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin. As the story goes, one day, while preparing an apple pie, Stéphanie accidentally left the apples cooking too long in butter and sugar. To salvage the dish, she put pastry dough on top of the apples before placing it into the oven. When it emerged golden brown and delicious, she had invented what we now know as Tarte Tatin!

Tarte Tatin – The Recipe

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total time: 35 mins
• Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 300g all-butter puff pastry
• 900g Braeburn apples, peeled, cored & quartered
• All-purpose flour for dusting
• 100g light brown sugar
• 85g unsalted butter, melted
• Vanilla ice cream to serve

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven and preheat it to 220 degrees C.
2. Prepare a 10″ oven-proof skillet by greasing it with butter; spread an even layer of sugar on top of the butter.
3. Arrange apples, rounded sides down, in the skillet on top of butter and sugar. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat until the butter melts, the sugar dissolves, and the caramelization begins.
4. Continue cooking for 10 to 12 minutes until the apples are soft and the caramel starts to brown.
5. Place the puff pastry on the flour-dusted workplace and roll into an 11” circle; pinch the edges using a fork to secure. 
6. Cover the apples by placing the crust on them and fold the edges to seal.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes until cool slightly.
8. Then place the serving plate on top of the pan and invert to release the tart, slice, and serve immediately.

Popular variations

Here are a few ways you can change this basic recipe to adjust it to your liking:

• Salted honey, pear, and chocolate tarte Tatin: this tarte tatin has dark chocolate, Salty caramel, roasted pear, crisp pastry, and walnuts. We love the balance between richness, sweetness, and nuttiness in this tatin.
• Tarte Tatin with White Chocolate Custard: The apple tarte tatin with white chocolate custard is crusty, sweet, and melty at the same time. This fancier version is perfect for impressing your guest.
• Pear and Rosemary Tarte Tatin with White Chocolate Ganache: The rosemary and pear tarte tatin is classic. The sweet herbal sensation from the rosemary plays well with the roasted pear. And the chocolate ganache completes the dish.
• Strawberry and Apple Tarte Tatin: Apples and strawberries are caramelized with sugar and butter. We love the dark caramel taste in apples, and with the flaky crust, it is divine.
• Banana and Chocolate Tarte Tatin: Bananas and chocolate in tarte tatin are utterly irresistible. It has caramelized bananas with the richness of the chocolate. It is sweet and dark and so delicious.