Upside-Down Caramel Apple Tart
No, it’s not a Tarte Tatin. It’s still delicious, and much less fiddly to make. Tart apples are caramelized, flavored with Calvados, and enriched with a little cream, then baked under golden puff pastry. Because the juicy filling is below the crust, rather than on top of it, the crust stays crisp and flaky. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche, and a dash of cinnamon.
— 8-10 servings
*Items marked in green are available from The Gourmet Corner.
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Granny Smith apples. If possible, get apples that are slightly yellowish in color — Granny Smiths acquire a slight yellow blush when fully ripe.
- 6 Tbs (3 oz) Échiré unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean, cut in thirds, then each third slit lengthwise down one side
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 6 Tbs Calvados (if Calvados is unavailable, brandy will work)
- 9 Tbs cream
- 7-oz (200 gr) sheet all-butter puff pastry, thawed
- 1 cup crème fraîche
Caramel Apple Filling
Peel and core apples, cut into 1/2 inch slices, divide into 3 batches.
Melt 3 Tbs butter in a large nonstick skillet. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over butter and stir in. Arrange 1/3 of the apples in the skillet, scrape the seeds from 1/3 vanilla bean over the apples then put the vanilla bean in with the apples.
Saute apples over medium-high heat until lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes (the trick is finding the temperature high enough to brown the apples, but not so high they cook to mush). Turn them as needed, so they cook evenly. Typically they exude a lot of liquid at the beginning, which evaporates off.
After most of the liquid has evaporated and what remains is an amber syrup, pour in 2 Tbs calvados and cook just until the alcohol cooks off. Add 3 Tbs cream, stir through, then cook 1 minute longer.
Spread contents of skillet on a rimmed baking tray to cool while cooking remaining apples. Wash and dry skillet.
Repeat sauteeing twice more with the remaining apples.
Heat oven to 400F.
Remove vanilla beans, then place apple filling in a 9″ glass or ceramic pie pan (metal pie pans are too thin and allow the pastry to over-brown). Unroll puff pastry, then center it over the filling. Lightly fold any overhanging edges back into the pan, gently crimping them to form a ring around the outer edge of the tart.
Bake 30-35 minutes at 400F, until crust is golden, rotating the tart halfway through baking. Serve warm, with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Tags: apples, puff pastry, tarts