Tarte Tatin
2 hours – serves 8
flaky egg pastry
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large egg, cold, beaten
caramelized apples
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 large Granny Smith apples (about 3 pounds), peeled, quartered and cored
1. for the pastry: Pulse the flour, confectioner’s sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients; process until the mixture resembles cornmeal, 7 to 12 seconds (you can also mix the butter in by rubbing the pieces between your fingertips, quickly). Turn the mixture into a medium bowl; add the egg and stir with a fork until little balls form. Press the balls together with the back of the fork, then gather the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic, then flatten it into a 4-inch disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (dough can be refrigerated overnight, just let stand at room temperature to warm slightly before rolling it out).
2. Unwrap the dough and turn out onto a well-floured work surface. Sprinkle with additional flour. Starting from the disk center outward, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, strewing flour underneath to prevent sticking. Slide a lightly floured rimless baking sheet under the crust, cover with plastic, and refrigerate while preparing the apples. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. for the apples: Melt the butter in a 9-inch ovenproof skillet; remove from the heat and sprinkle evenly with the sugar. Arrange the apples in the skillet by placing the first apple quarter cut-side down and with an end touching the skillet wall. As you continue to arrange the apples, lift each quarter on its edge while placing the next apple quarter on its edge, so that the apple quarters stand straight up. Fill the skillet middle with the remaining quarters, placing them cut-side down.
4. Return the skillet to high heat; cook until the juice turn from butterscotch to a rich amber color, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and, using a fork or the tip of a paring knife, turn the apples onto their uncaramelized sides. Return the skillet to the highest heat; boil to cook the uncaramelized sides of the apples, about 5 minutes longer.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat. Slide the prepared dough from the baking sheet onto the apple filling, and taking care not to burn your fingers, tuck the dough edges gently up against the skillet wall. Prick dough with a fork to let steam escape.
6. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Set the skillet on a wire rack cool about 20 minutes. Loosen the edge with a knife, place a heatproof serving plate on top of the skillet, and, holding the plate and skillet together firmly, invert the tart onto the serving plate. Scrape out any apples that stick to the skillet and put them back into place.
from Cook's Illustrated
flaky egg pastry
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large egg, cold, beaten
caramelized apples
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 large Granny Smith apples (about 3 pounds), peeled, quartered and cored
1. for the pastry: Pulse the flour, confectioner’s sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients; process until the mixture resembles cornmeal, 7 to 12 seconds (you can also mix the butter in by rubbing the pieces between your fingertips, quickly). Turn the mixture into a medium bowl; add the egg and stir with a fork until little balls form. Press the balls together with the back of the fork, then gather the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic, then flatten it into a 4-inch disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (dough can be refrigerated overnight, just let stand at room temperature to warm slightly before rolling it out).
2. Unwrap the dough and turn out onto a well-floured work surface. Sprinkle with additional flour. Starting from the disk center outward, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, strewing flour underneath to prevent sticking. Slide a lightly floured rimless baking sheet under the crust, cover with plastic, and refrigerate while preparing the apples. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. for the apples: Melt the butter in a 9-inch ovenproof skillet; remove from the heat and sprinkle evenly with the sugar. Arrange the apples in the skillet by placing the first apple quarter cut-side down and with an end touching the skillet wall. As you continue to arrange the apples, lift each quarter on its edge while placing the next apple quarter on its edge, so that the apple quarters stand straight up. Fill the skillet middle with the remaining quarters, placing them cut-side down.
4. Return the skillet to high heat; cook until the juice turn from butterscotch to a rich amber color, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and, using a fork or the tip of a paring knife, turn the apples onto their uncaramelized sides. Return the skillet to the highest heat; boil to cook the uncaramelized sides of the apples, about 5 minutes longer.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat. Slide the prepared dough from the baking sheet onto the apple filling, and taking care not to burn your fingers, tuck the dough edges gently up against the skillet wall. Prick dough with a fork to let steam escape.
6. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Set the skillet on a wire rack cool about 20 minutes. Loosen the edge with a knife, place a heatproof serving plate on top of the skillet, and, holding the plate and skillet together firmly, invert the tart onto the serving plate. Scrape out any apples that stick to the skillet and put them back into place.
from Cook's Illustrated
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