Tarte Tatin (tart tah-TAN) A famous French upside-down apple tart. Like Tarte Tatin life can be upside down at times too. Such is the case for my daughter and her husband after she sustained a serious leg injury while skiing the snowy slopes at Winter Park, Colorado. Yep, she shattered her tibia and fractured her fibula on New Years Eve, near the end of the day, of course. I say “of course” because it seems that injuries often happen then, at the end of a great day of skiing.
Needless to say she spent the end of 2015 in the ER of a trauma hospital and as 2016 emerged she found herself being wheeled into the OR to have repairs done on her splintered leg. In surgery the doctors outfitted her with a titanium plate and 13 screws to hold the bones together for the next few weeks until her bones heal, at which time she will be good as new! Meantime she is on crutches and very limited in what she can or should I say ,”cannot do”.
So what does a mom do when she is called in to play nurse? Hang out in the kitchen and make food! I hopped a plane to Nor Cal, made a run by the supermarket and headed for the kitchen. I had requests for Pork Ragu, filled with plenty of earthy mushrooms and garlic, Tortilla Soup, spicy and smoky with chipotle peppers and topped with creamy avocado, Shrimp Stir Fry full of healthy veggies and last but not least, Tarte Tatin. Of all the meals I prepared making this simple and delicious dessert was my favorite.
We served it one evening when we invited old friends over for a homey, relaxing evening to share food and a bit of laughter. Not a thing that would require LuLu to be up and about. It was met with rave reviews and is now a recipe I will make again and again. I imagine it should be tested with pears, plums and peaches and will put that idea into effect as soon as I am back home.
This recipe is uncomplicated, uses minimal ingredients and served warm with a dollop of creme fraiche creates a stunning and toothsome dessert. I even enjoyed it the next morning with a cup of coffee for breakfast. It’s my new darling in the dessert department.
- 1 14 oz. package all butter puff pastry
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 10-12 Golden Delicious apples peeled, cored and cut in half
- Creme Fraiche
- On a lightly floured surface roll the puff pastry out to about 1/8 of an inch.
- Cut out a 12″ round, cover and refrigerate until time to use.
- In a 10″ cast iron skillet melt the butter.
- Add the sugar and cook over moderately low heat; stirring occasionally until the sugar is melted and the mixture comes to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat.
- Arrange the apple halves standing upright in the skillet in 2 snug concentric circles.
- Return to the heat and cook undisturbed until an amber caramel forms, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375*F.
- Top the apples with the puff pastry circle and bake for about 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the apples are tender.
- Cool for 15 minutes.
- Place a large plate on top of the skillet and carefully invert the tart.
- Serve warm with creme fraiche.
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