French Iconic Tarte Tatin Upside Down Caramelized Apple Pie Food

FRENCH ICONIC TARTE TATIN, UPSIDE-DOWN CARAMELIZED APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Gently with your fingertips mix the flour, salt and finely-diced butter. The texture should become like sand. Tip: As much as possible try to avoid having your skin in contact with the butter - therefore quickly pour the flour around the butter - and avoid mixing too long with your fingers otherwise the butter will melt.
• Add the water and the egg yolk. Mix them in, again with your fingertips, until you have a smooth uniform mixture. You can also do this with your mixer (with the leaf utensil).
• Knead the dough twice (Put the dough on a floured surface, crush it with the palm of your hand and reshape a ball. This process aerates the dough so it will not shrink in the oven). Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for at least 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
• Peel the apples, remove the cores and cut them into quarters.
• Prepare the caramel. In a pan that can go on your stove or in a pan, place sugar and cubed butter. Melt. When you get a nice caramelized colour, stop the heat (if in a pan, pour in tour tin).
• Arrange the apples neatly on the caramel (the round part facing the caramel). You can fill gaps with small pieces of the remaining apples. Number of apples depend on the size of your pan, be sure it is generously garnished with apples.
• Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for a few minutes so that it won't be too cold. Lay it out on a clean, floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to stretch it to a circle of the correct size (1 cm bigger than you pan).
• Put it on top of the apples, with a spatula, tuck the edges of the pastry into the pan, between pan and apples.
• Bake for 1 hour at 160°C (320°F).
• Unmold right out of the oven. Place a plate on top of the mold, flip and unmold. Doing this when still hot will prevent the caramel from hardening.

CARAMELISED UPSIDE-DOWN APPLE TART - TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Make a well in the centre of the flour. Put the egg yolks, sugar and a pinch of salt in the centre of the well, then add the butter and the water. Mix with your fingertips until the crumb stage. Use more water at your discretion. The dough must be very smooth. Shape into a ball and chill until firm.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan.When it starts to sizzle add the sugar all at once. Cook over medium heat, stirring now and then with a wooden spoon until caramelised to a deep golden brown. Cook gently once it starts to colour because it burns easily. This will take about 3 - 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until tepid.
• Arrange the apple halves upright in concentric circles to fill the pan. The apples will shrink during cooking so pack it in tightly. Cook the apples over high heat until caramelised, 15 - 25 minutes. Turn the apples over to caramelise on both sides - use a fork. Remove the pan from heat and let cool 10 - 15 minutes.
• Roll out the pastry into a round 2.5 cm larger than the frying pan. Roll up the dough around the rolling pin and transfer to the pan. Drape the dough over the pan. Tuck the edges of the dough down around the apples. Bake the tart in the heated oven until the crust is golden brown. 20 - 25 minutes.
• Let the tart cool until tepid in the pan then unmould it. Set a serving plate on top of the pan, hold firmly together and invert the two. If the apples stick to the pan, remove and replace on the tart. If any caramel remains, use it on the apples.
• Serve with creme fraiche.

CARAMELISED FRUIT TARTE TATIN (UPSIDE DOWN PASTRY PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to moderate - 200c.
• Cut pastry to size of baking pan or dish.
• Melt butter in a non stick pan. Add sugar and cook over a medium heat until the mixture is a caramel colour and the sugar has dissolved. Careful not to burn it. Remove from heat.
• Mix in brandy or liqueur (careful, it may sizzle and spit). Pour into baking dish. Put the fruit pieces in the dish, cut (flat) side down.
• Place pastry over top of fruit and tuck in the sides.
• Bake for 20 mins or until pastry has risen and is golden and crispy.
• Carefully invert the tarte Tatin onto a plate (fruit side up, with the pastry on the bottom). Serve immediately with a dollop of cream or ice cream, sprinkled with toasted almond flakes.

EASY UPSIDE DOWN APPLE TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Peel, core& quarter apples; toss with lemon juice& 2 tbsp of the sugar.
• Let stand& toss again so that sugar is completely dissolved.
• In a 10 inch ovenproof skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
• Sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over butter.
• Stir just until sugar is dissolved& remove from heat.
• Place as many apple wedges as you can into the pan.
• They will actually stand on end but thats OK since they will shrink as the tarte cooks.
• Place the pan back over medium heat and cook the apples for 20- 25 minutes or until syrup has formed a thickened caramel.
• Cool slightly.
• Gently roll out pie shell (or puff pastry) to fit slightly larger than the pan.
• Place over the pan, trim edges& bake in preheated 400F oven for 20- 25 minutes or until pastry is crisp.
• Turn out onto a large platter& serve.