Holidays or anytime Apple Tarte Tatin baked in cast iron and made with a quick to assemble food processor Pate Brisee Dough is the dessert you can make while doing other things.
Updated January 2023 original text and photo below recipe
Some notes on timing the tarte tatin
This is one of those recipes that takes a lot of time but not a lot of active time.
The crust takes about five minutes to get to step one- then it must rest for an hour.
The apples take about five minutes to quarter and core then they must caramelize for fifteen to twenty minutes.
Assembly takes between five and ten minutes depending on how neatly you arrange the apples, then it must bake for 35-45 minutes, then it must rest for ten minutes before being inverted to serve.
It’s a snow day project when you have other things to do. It’s a dessert for sort of unexpected guests.
It’s good for breakfast too!
Cast Iron Tarte Tatin with easy food processor flaky crust
Equipment
- 1 10 1/2 inch cast iron skillet
- 13 inch cast iron or other skillet optional
Ingredients
- Pate Brisee Dough
- 6-8 apples cored and quartered crisp slightly tart baking apples are best here butI think you have more leeway with this tart than with other apple pies
- 6 TBS unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- splash of brandy optional
Instructions
- prepare crust through step one.
- preheat oven to 425
- in the largest frying pan you can manage ( I used the 13 inch cast iron) melt butter over medium/medium high heat, add sugar, apples, and optional brandy. stir to combine. stirring occasionally to prevent sticking cook until caramelized- about 20 minutes- really twenty minutes. the apples will darken a bit when baking but you want a deep golden caramelization before they go in the oven which almost always takes longer than I expect it to.
- remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.
- this is when I usually roll out my crust (into a 12 inch round) and then pop it in the freezer while I prepare the apples for baking
- transfer apples and all their caramelized goodness to a buttered 11 inch cast iron skillet or pie pan. You can either simply pile the apples in or arrange them decoratively.
- place prepared crust over apples, tucking in any overhang, and bake for 35-40 minutes until filing is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
- cool in cast iron for about ten minutes and then, while still warm, invert onto serving platter of your choice
- serve warm or at room temperature. It will keep covered and refrigerated for 3-5 days but it will never be quite as delicious as it is in those first few hours.
Original Post and Photo
One of my many wonderful cousins stopped by yesterday for an early dinner on her way to an organic seed conference. As it was also her birthday dessert seemed mandatory. Fortunately I was told that butter is okay, nay- encouraged.
I have been putting more energy than I should into designing a new website for recipefiction. You know, something that includes fiction not just recipes. But I was gently reminded that I still need to post here in the meantime. So during my mad flurry to make dinner three hours earlier than normal I did manage to take a few snaps.
This is so gorgeous! Last time I had tarte tatin was in Normandy, France last year…yours rivals theirs in beauty, and very likely taste as well! Thanks for posting!
Thank you!
Tarte Tatin in Normandy sounds like the best place to have it.
Would it make sense to cook the apples in the same skillet you use to bake the pie in?
Kerry,
It most certainly can be done in the same pan. The advantage to two pans (aside from the cleanup, of course) is that a larger pan makes caramelizing the apples considerably easier. Like browning anything, the less crowded it is the easier it is to cook evenly. The transfer also allows me to arrange the apples if I desire and, more importantly, it cools the whole mixture down a bit. If the filling is too hot it can make the crust sort of melt on top of the apples- which is exactly what happened the last time I made tatin in a single skillet.
Great, that makes a lot of sense! I only have one cast iron skillet, so I may try caramelizing the apples in a regular frying pan. Looks delicious!