Tarte Tartin

Upside down caramelized apple tart

We've all made fumbles in the kitchen and this French dessert was apparently created by a mistake.  A French lady (Stephanie Tartin) was originally baking an apple pie, however cooked the apples in the butter and sugar too long, burning it a tad bit, therefore to recover from her mistake, she turned it into an upside down caramelized apple tart.  Voila, the invention of the tarte tartin a very popular and delicious dessert in France. 

Place apples cut-side up

Ingredients:
(makes 8 slices)
-4 apples
-For the caramel:
125 grams butter
1/2 cup sugar
-For the pastry:
250 grams flour
125 grams butter
2-3 tbsp water
1 egg 

Caramelize butter and sugar until golden brown

Instructions:

-Start by making the pastry: cut up the butter into small cubes and combine with the flour.  With your fingers squish the butter with the flour until it becomes like breadcrumbs.  Mix in the egg and water.  Once the pastry becomes soft, but not sticky, cover with saran wrap and stick in the refrigerator.

Poke holes in the pastry and seal the edges

-Peel the apples, cut into quarters, take out the core and cut each quarter into 2-3 large slices.

-Make the caramel: In a skillet, on medium heat, mix together the butter and sugar.  Mix for a few minutes until golden brown.  Do not over cook!

-In a cake pan, pour in the caramel.  Then arrange the apple slices in a circular pattern (place apples cut-side up).

Love the sticky caramel dripping over the apples and pastry!

-Take the pastry out of the frig and roll out the dough.

-Place the rolled pastry over the apples and seal the edges.  With a knife or fork, poke holes in the pastry.

-Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

-Once baked, place a plate over the cake pan and flip over carefully.

-Best served warm.  Goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.  Bon appetit!