Recipe: Tarte Tatin

This is a classic French apple tart recipe that I've been eating my entire life and it has always gotten rave reviews. I've yet to meet someone who doesn't love this dessert! It's especially delicious with orange blossom whipped cream on top. You can either make your own tart pastry, or if you're running short on time or hate rolling pastry as much as I do, buy puff pastry ready-made. When I do make my pastry, I prefer to use spelt flour because it has a slightly nutty taste. 

Traditionally, the tarte is made in one pan where the cooking starts on the stovetop and finishes in the oven. If you, like me, don't have a good ovenproof frying pan, you can use a regular frying pan for cooking the apples and then transfer the apples to a cake pan for the oven (or any oven-proof container). 

Filling ingredients:

• 6 average size Granny Smith or Bramley green apples
• 70 g (2.5 oz) unsalted butter, chopped roughly
• 185 g (3/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

Pastry ingredients (optional):

• 220 g (1 and 3/4 cups) white spelt flour
• a pinch of salt
• 150 g (5.5 oz) unsalted butter, chilled and diced
• 1 egg yolk

Whipped cream:

• 185 ml (3/4) cup double cream (also called heavy cream)
• 1 teaspoon icing (confectioners') sugar or honey
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water

Instructions:

Wash, peel and core the apples, cutting them into quarters. I use an apple corer to make the job easier for large quantities of apples. Place the sugar and chopped butter into a deep 25 cm (10-inch) frying pan, heating on medium heat until the butter and sugar combine. Place the apples tightly into the frying pan (you can use neat rows or a more chaotic layout).

Cook the apples on low heat for 35-40 minutes or until the apple is soft and any extra liquid has evaporated. Baste the apples with a pastry brush occasionally during the cooking process. When finished, the apples should be a golden brown colour. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F or Gas 5). If using a fan oven, you can lower the temperature setting to 170 degrees C. 

If you've opted to make your own tart pastry, you can do it while the apples are cooking. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the diced butter, rubbing the mixture in until it has the texture of breadcrumbs (I do this using a food processor instead, using the pulse button). Add the egg yolk and 2-3 teaspoons of cold water. Mix it until the dough gets to a uniformly smooth texture (it's important not to overmix the dough). Shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Roll out the pastry (either pre-purchased or homemade) on a floured surface in a circular shape slightly bigger than your frying pan or oven container. Place the pastry over the apple-filled frying pan and press down to seal the edges. Trim the edge of the pastry and fold it back into the edge of the pan. Bake the tarte for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and cooked. 

To make the whipped cream, put your cream, icing sugar, and orange blossom water in a bowl and beat or whisk until soft peaks form. Serve with the tarte.