French Tarte Tatin: Caramelized Upside-Down Apple Tart for Cozy Fall Weekends

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss the apple quarters with the lemon juice.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 6 to 7 firm apples (Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Golden Delicious), peeled, cored and quartered
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, thawed
• Creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss the apple quarters with the lemon juice.
2. In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat, melt the sugar without stirring, swirling the pan until it becomes a deep amber caramel.
3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, cinnamon and salt until smooth.
4. Pack the apple quarters tightly, rounded-side down, in concentric circles in the caramel.
5. Return to medium-low heat and cook 15 minutes, basting occasionally, until the apples soften and the caramel thickens.
6. Roll the puff pastry slightly larger than the skillet, lay it over the apples and tuck the edges down around the fruit. Cut 3 small steam vents.
7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden.
8. Rest 5 minutes, run a knife around the edge, place a platter over the skillet and carefully invert. Serve warm with creme fraiche.
9. Legend credits the Tatin sisters, who ran a hotel in the Loire Valley in the 1880s, with creating this tart by accident when apples were left too long in butter and sugar. Today it is a pillar of French bistro cooking and the perfect way to use the season's first crisp apples.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 340 kcal
• Protein: 3g
• Fat: 17g
• Carbohydrates: 47g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 33g
• Sodium: 150mg