Individual Dried Fruit Tartes Tatin Food

TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch metal pie plate; set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 9-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Place dough on the prepared baking sheet, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix together the sugar, 2 tablespoons cold water, and the lemon juice to form a thick syrup. Bring to a boil over high heat, swirling pan; cook until the mixture turns medium amber, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, and pour the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Immediately add the butter, distributing evenly.
• Arrange the apples, rounded sides down, around the bottom of the pan in a circular pattern, starting from the outside and working in, fitting them as close together as possible (the apples will be the top of the tart when served). Drape the chilled dough round over the apples to cover the mixture completely.
• Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with a clean nonstick baking mat. Remove the tart from the oven, and immediately invert onto the mat, working quickly but carefully to avoid contact with the hot caramel. Using tongs, carefully lift the pie plate off of the tart. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm with creme fraiche, if using.

INDIVIDUAL TARTES TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Peel apple, halve lengthwise, and core. Using a 1-cup ramekin (3 1/4 inches across and 2 1/4 inches deep) as a guide, cut out 2 rounds from pastry sheet.
• In a 7-inch heavy skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and stir in brown sugar and water. Add apple halves and cook, turning frequently, 3 minutes. In two 1-cup ramekins set on a baking sheet arrange apple halves, cored sides up, and top evenly with sauce.
• Top apples with pastry rounds, letting edges of pastry hang over sides of apples. Bake tarts in middle of oven for 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown, and cool on a rack 5 minutes. Working with 1 ramekin at a time, invert a plate over each ramekin and invert ramekin onto plate. Carefully lift off ramekins.
• Serve tarts with ice cream.

INDIVIDUAL DRIED-FRUIT TARTES TATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Have ready six 4-inch fluted tartlet pans with nonremovable bottoms.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out six 4 1/2-inch-round circles. Transfer the circles to prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic; transfer to refrigerator to chill.
• Place the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Place pan over medium-high heat, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook, uncovered, without stirring. As the water evaporates, the sugar will begin to caramelize. Once the sugar starts to brown, swirl the pan occasionally so the sugar caramelizes evenly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until caramel is light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Working quickly, divide caramel among tart pans, covering the bottoms evenly. Set the tart pans aside.
• Arrange the fruit, cut sides up or down, on top of caramel in pans, covering bottoms.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 teaspoon water. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Center the rounds over the fruit in the pans, laying the dough flat and not tucking it in. Using a knife, make a knife slit in each piece of dough. Brush rounds with egg wash. Transfer pans to refrigerator; chill 15 minutes.
• Arrange the tart pans on baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between. Bake until the crusts are golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack until pans are cool enough to handle.
• Using your fingers, gently unstick crusts from rims as needed. Turn out each tart onto a plate, tapping to loosen any fruit. Serve tarts warm or at room temperature.

FLAKY PIE DOUGH FOR INDIVIDUAL TARTES TATIN

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, and sugar in bowl of a food processor. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
• With machine running, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube until dough holds together, taking no longer than 30 seconds. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Press dough into a disk; wrap. Chill at least 1 hour.

TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Roll the pastry to a 3mm-thick round on a lightly floured surface and cut a 24cm circle, using a plate as a guide. Lightly prick all over with a fork, place on a baking sheet, then cover and freeze while preparing the apples.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel, quarter and core the apples. Put the sugar in a flameproof 20cm ceramic tatin dish or a 20cm ovenproof heavy-based frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Cook the sugar for 5-7 mins to a dark amber caramel syrup that's starting to smoke, then turn off the heat and stir in the 60g diced chilled butter.
• To assemble the tarte tatin, arrange the apple quarters very tightly in a circle around the edge of the dish first, rounded-side down, then fill in the middle in a similar fashion. Gently press with your hands to ensure there are no gaps. Brush the fruit with the melted butter.
• Bake in the oven for 30 mins, then remove and place the disc of frozen puff pastry on top - it will quickly defrost. Tuck the edges down the inside of the dish and, with a knife, prick a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake for a further 40-45 mins until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
• Allow to cool to room temperature for 1 hr before running a knife around the edge of the dish and inverting it onto a large serving plate that is deep enough to contain the juices. Serve with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

MINI APRICOT TARTES TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in upper third position. Generously butter a standard 12-cup nonstick muffin pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Transfer rounds to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and place in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the caramel: combine the sugar with 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and cook, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir), over medium-high heat until deep amber, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Divide caramel among prepared muffin cups. Place two apricot halves, cut side up, in each muffin cup. Remove the chilled pastry rounds from freezer and place on top of apricots.
• Place muffin pan on the chilled baking sheet and bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until pastry is crisp and golden brown, 30 to 32 minutes. Top muffin pan with a rimmed baking sheet and invert. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

MINI APPLE TARTES TATIN

Steps:

• Place 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar and corn syrup, increase heat to high, and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture caramelizes into a deep amber brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Once it starts turning brown, swirl often and keep a close eye on it.
• Remove from the heat, and whisk in butter until melted and smooth. Divide among six 4-to 6-ounce ramekins, or among the cups of a nonstick 6-muffin tin.
• Cut the apples in half from top to bottom. Use a melon baller or the tip of a knife to core the apple halves. Trim off any remaining peels and stems, and cut around the edges so each apple half is about the same diameter as each ramekin. Place the apple halves face down on a work surface, then slice into 1/2-inch-thick pieces, keeping the slices together so the shape of the apple half stays intact. Tuck each apple half into a ramekin or cup, with the flat side facing up and the curved back nestling into the caramel.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out or unfold the pastry and prick all over with a fork. Using a biscuit cutter or a knife, cut out six pastry rounds that are slightly larger than the ramekins (about 1/2 inch of dough all the way around). Keep pastry rounds chilled until ready to use.
• Place the pastry rounds on top of the ramekins or cups. Working your way around, use forefingers and thumbs to turn the pastry edges up and away from the apples, as if making a little round stand for each tart. Crimp the edges a bit. Tuck the pastry rounds slightly down into the ramekins; do not seal. Place the ramekins or muffin tin on a baking sheet lined with a nonstick liner or parchment paper.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until the puff pastry is golden brown, the apples are fork-tender but not mushy, and the caramel is thick and bubbling, about 10 minutes more depending on the apples. To test, after 10 minutes, remove from the oven and slip a fork into one tart. The apples should be cooked through. Let cool in the ramekins or cups for at least 1 hour, to allow the apples to absorb the caramel.
• When ready to serve, heat oven to 350 degrees. Reheat the tarts for 3 minutes (to soften the caramel) before inverting onto individual dishes. If using a muffin tin, cover the tin with a baking sheet and use both hands to flip the pans over, so the tarts fall out onto the baking sheet. Don't worry if some of the caramel runs out.

FOOLPROOF TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• At least one day before you plan to cook the tart, prepare the apples: Slice off the bottom of each apple so it has a flat base. Peel and quarter the apples. Use a small sharp knife to trim the hard cores and seeds from the center of each quarter; don't worry about being too neat. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, lightly covered, for at least one day or up to three days. (This key step reduces the amount of liquid in the tart. Don't worry if the apples turn brown; they will be browned during the cooking anyway.)
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 375 degrees (or 350 if using convection). Thickly coat the bottom of a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably nonstick metal, with butter. Sprinkle sugar evenly on top.
• Cut one piece of apple into a thick round disk and place in the center of the skillet to serve as the "button." Arrange the remaining apple pieces, each one standing on its flat end, in concentric circles around the button. Keep the pieces close together so that they support one another, standing upright. They will look like the petals of a flower.
• On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry about 1/8-inch thick. Place an upside-down bowl or pan on the pastry and use the tip of a sharp knife to cut out a circle about the same size as the top of your skillet. Lift out the circle and drape gently over the apples. Use your hands to tuck the pastry around the apple pieces, hugging them together firmly.
• Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until golden-brown juice begins to bubble around the edges, 3 minutes (if the juices keep rising, spoon out as needed to remain level with pastry). If necessary, raise the heat so that the juices are at a boil. Keep cooking until the juices are turning darker brown and smell caramelized, no longer than 10 minutes more.
• Transfer skillet to the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until puff pastry is browned and firm.
• Let cool 5 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a round serving plate. (Or, if not serving immediately, let cool completely in the pan; when ready to serve, rewarm for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven before turning out.) If any apples remain stuck in the pan, gently use your fingers or a spatula to retrieve them, and rearrange on the pastry shell. Cut in wedges and serve warm with heavy cream, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

BANANA TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a 13 1/2-inch square. Using a large skillet as a guide, cut out a 12-inch round. Transfer pastry round to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Make three 1/2-inch slits in center of round; set pastry aside at room temperature.
• Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cook, swirling skillet occasionally, until mixture turns medium amber, about 3 minutes.
• Arrange bananas in skillet, overlapping slightly. Cook, without stirring, 3 minutes. Drizzle vanilla and rum over bananas, and cook until most of the rum has evaporated and liquid has thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Place pastry round on top of bananas, and transfer to oven. Bake until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully invert the tart onto a serving plate. Whisk creme fraiche until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Serve dessert warm or at room temperature with the creme fraiche.

INDIVIDUAL POTATO-AND-ONION TARTES TATIN

Steps:

• Very generously butter six 5-inch round metal pie plates; set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cutter or a small plate as a guide, cut dough into 4 1/2-inch rounds. Prick rounds all over with a fork. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Lay two or three onion rounds on the bottom of each pie pan. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice potatoes into thin rounds, about a scant 1/4 inch thick. Place potato slices, slightly overlapping, over the onion in two layers of concentric circles (they should completely cover the onion). Sprinkle potatoes generously with salt and pepper. Place chilled puff pastry rounds on top of the potatoes in each pie plate. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Immediately invert tartlets onto a platter. In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until mixture reduces to a syrup, about 4 minutes. Whisk in butter, a piece at a time, until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Glaze tartlets with balsamic syrup and serve warm.