Easy Tarte Tatin: Upside-Down Apple Puff Pastry Tarte
Make this easy tarte tatin: upside-down apple puff pastry tarte this weekend!
I’ve made a real Tarte Tatin many times with varying degrees of success. To do it right also takes a lot of time. Yet, Tarte Tatin remains one of my favorite desserts, which I always order when at Buvette in NYC and Paris. Today I’m going to show you a simple yet fail-proof way of making a Tarte Tatin, and your guest won’t be able to tell how easy it was to make.
The Origins of Tarte Tatin
Legend has it that back in the late 19th century, the creation of the Tarte Tatin was an accidental masterpiece created from a kitchen mishap. The Tatin sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline, who owned the Hotel Tatin in the countryside of France, accidentally overcooked the apples, butter, and sugar. They decided to try and salvage the situation by simply placing the pastry dough on top of the caramelized apples and baking it in the oven. Then simply turned it over for serving. And just like this incredibly delicious caramelized apple tart was born. The happy accident quickly gained popularity, and Tarte Tatin became a beloved French classic.
I decided to try a very simplified version of Tarte Tatin.
Based on how much I enjoyed and the popularity of the upsidedown croque monsieur I recently made, I decided to try my own version of Tarte Tatin. I started with the simple ingredients from my favorite apple pie recipe and used puff pastry sheets as the dough. The result was far better than expected. There are just a few simple tricks to making the perfect upside-down apple pie tarte.
Ingredients Needed:
- Apple
- Puff pastry
- Brown sugar
- White Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Butter
- Salt
Cooking the apples
I cored and sliced one apple, added a combination of brown and white sugar, and placed them all into the pot. I cooked them on medium to medium-low heat until the sugar and juices from the apple caramelized (about 10 minutes). You want the apples to soften a bit but not lose their shape.
Next, I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper, laid small square thin slices of butter on the parchment paper, and, using tongs, lined the apple slices on top of the butter. I added a few more tiny cubes of butter and a tiny cube of bread on top of the apples to absorb any of the extra liquid.
Puff pastry sheets
First, I let the puff pastry sheet come to room temperature, and then on a flour-coated surface rolled the puff pastry just a little. Next, I cut the puff pastry into rectangles and laid them on top of the apples. Then, using a fork, I went around all four edges of the rectangles pressing down lightly, making small indentations.
Then brushed with an egg wash and baked them in the oven at 350º for 15 minutes.
Serving the Tarte Tatin
Once they are done, remove them from the oven and only let them cool for a few minutes. Then, slide it underneath the tarte using a spatula, and invert them onto a cooling rack. Place them on a serving plate, top them with a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream, and serve.
PrintSuper Easy Tarte Tatin: Upside-Down Apple Puff Pastry Tarte
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: dessert
Ingredients
- One sheet puff pastry
- One large apple
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- One teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- Three tablespoons butter
- Cubed white bread (cut very small)
Instructions
- Prepare the puff pastry. Once it has softened a bit after taking it out of the freezer, but before it gets too warm, open one sheet and roll it out in both directions so that it becomes slightly larger.
- Then, cut it into six rectangles and place each on a plate between parchment paper sheets. Refrigerate while you prepare the apple filling. If using one apple, you’ll have two rectangles left over).
- Peel and slice the apple. Try to cut even apple slices that are not too thin.
- Place in a pot and cover with the sugars, cinnamon, and pinch of salt, and cook over low heat until the sugar becomes syrupy. Do not add water.
- Cook the apples for about 10 minutes or until they soften a bit but still hold their shape.
- Once the apples are ready, remove them from the heat. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and then add two thin slices of butter for each rectangular tarte.
- Layer the apples on top of each of the butter slices. Arrange them using tongs or your fingers.
- Place a piece of puff pastry over each of the apple rectangles.
- Pinch with a fork on all four sides of each of the four sides. Cut slits and pierce with a fork.
- Brush with an egg wash and bake for 15 minutes in a 350º oven. Watch closely.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for a minute or two, then using a flat spatula, carefully flip them over as you move them to a cooling rack.
- The apples reveal themselves just like a tarte tatin.
- Serve warm or room temperature with a little vanilla ice cream.
Looks delicious Annie! Have a wonderful week.
The small cubes of bread aren’t needed in the ingredients list
Hi Bridget, I’m sure you’re right, but it might help soak up the extra juice. It’s how I’ve made my regular apple pie for years…and my mother and grandmother, so I think that’s why I do it! Let me know if you make them. They are delicious!