Marthas Favorite Tarte Tatin Food

TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together flour, salt, and baking powder until well combined. Add butter; mix until well combined. Add yolk, milk, and sugar; mix until fully incorporated. Transfer to refrigerator and let chill for an hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Turn dough out onto a nonstick baking mat and roll out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Invert a 7 1/2-inch round silicone mold onto dough; using a small sharp knife, trace around the mold. Remove scraps and discard. Transfer baking mat to a baking sheet and place in oven. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Make the apples: Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Place apples on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar and transfer to oven. Bake until slightly softened, about 20 minutes.
• Make the caramel: Place sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Melt, without stirring, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in butter until smooth.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Place a 7 3/4-inch round silicone mold on a baking sheet and pour in caramel. Arrange apples vertically around the perimeter of the mold, working towards the center. Transfer to oven and bake until browned and very soft, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 hour.
• Place circular piece of dough over mold and invert; serve with creme fraiche.

TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Coarsely grate 2 sticks (1 cup) of the butter on the large holes of a box grater onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Toss the butter with a sprinkle of flour and arrange the butter in an even layer on the prepared sheet. Freeze until rock solid, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk together the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Fold in the frozen butter pieces. Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup ice water, whisking with a fork until small pieces form and the dough just starts to come together, being careful not to overwork it. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out into a 12-by-1/4-inch-thick circle. Transfer to the other prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, peel, core and halve the apples. Cut all but one of the apple halves in half again. Put the lemon juice in a large bowl and toss the apple pieces with the lemon juice; set aside. Cut the remaining 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter into small cubes; set aside.
• Sprinkle the sugar over the bottom of a large ovenproof skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until melted and amber brown, about 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the cubed butter until melted and smooth (the sugar will start to bubble as the butter cools it down).
• Place the apple half in the center of the skillet rounded-side down. Arrange the remaining apple quarters rounded-side down in a tight circle around the center apple, making sure there is as little space between the apples as possible (any space left between apples will cause the tart to collapse when flipped out of the skillet).
• Place the pastry round on top and carefully tuck the edges down around the apples. Poke the pastry all over with a fork. Bake until the apples are cooked through and the pastry is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool for 5 minutes in the skillet; any longer will cause the caramel to harden and make it very hard to get the tart out of the skillet. Place a serving dish or cake stand upside down on top of the skillet. Using oven mitts, carefully flip the skillet over to invert the tart onto the serving dish. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.

PEAR TART TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll puff pastry to an 11 1/2-inch square; using a plate as a guide, cut out an 11-inch round. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a medium cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet, combine sugar, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in butter. Arrange pear wedges in a circle along the edge of skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until pears are crisp-tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
• Drape chilled pastry round over pears, tucking edge under. Place a small oven-safe plate or pot lid on top of pastry; bake 15 minutes. Remove plate; continue to bake until pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Let tart cool in skillet, 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of skillet, and carefully invert tart onto a serving plate. Serve warm.

LADY APPLE TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan; cook over medium heat until dark amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Swirl pan to prevent crystallization; don't stir. Working quickly, divide hot caramel among 12 mini-muffin cups. Add 1 teaspoon butter to each cup. Set aside.
• Combine cranberries and walnuts in a small bowl. Using a teaspoon, fill each apple center with cranberry and walnut mixture. Place apples, stem-side down, into caramel. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until the apples are tender but still firm, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry to a 12-inch square. Using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out twelve circles. Transfer to a baking sheet, and chill until firm, at least 15 minutes. Once apples have cooked 20 minutes, remove foil, and cover each apple with a circle of puff pastry. Return to oven, and continue baking until puff pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. Turn out onto a tray lined with a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat) or buttered parchment. Garnish with cranberries and walnuts, if desired, and serve.

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.

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.

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.

APPLE TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Core apples using a melon baller to retain the rounded shape of the apples. Rub apples with sliced lemons to prevent browning. Set aside.
• Over medium heat in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, heat sugar and 1/4 cup water. Cook until it turns a rich golden color; swirling occasionally, about 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, roll puff pastry in one direction out into a 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8 inch thick. Brush off any excess flour with a pastry brush.
• Add butter to skillet. Once melted, add apples, rounded sides down, fitting as many into the skillet as possible. Remove from heat, and top apples with puff pastry. Fold edges under, and crimp slightly. Make two to three small cuts in puff pastry to allow the steam to escape. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. and bake until pastry is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and let cool about 2 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife. Carefully place a plate over the skillet and flip, inverting the tarte tatin. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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.