By Marcus Coates, @homeinriyadh, 14th October 2021
Lazy desserts rock!
Okay, I admit it, I love desserts. I just don’t particularly like making them — especially all that washing up of multiple bowls, utensils and measuring jugs afterwards. And I’m not so keen on shop-bought desserts, as they are full of preservatives — unless they come from a quality baker’s — and then they tend to be expensive, right?
So, what’s a dessert fan supposed to do to get their sugar hit? Well, make a quick and easy dessert, of course; one that requires few ingredients and minimal washing up, that’s the answer!
This Tarte Tatin recipe ticks all of the above boxes: it’s homemade, requires few ingredients, it’s easy to put together, requires minimal washing up, and tastes great! Why not give it a go?
Image from Unsplash: Holly Mindrup
Ingredients
10 x green apples (sour apples taste great in this recipe)
100g castor sugar
100g butter – diced
300g pack of puff pastry block
Four ingredients — that’s it!
Preparation Method
Note: A large oven-proof frying pan is required for this recipe.
Peel and core your apples and slice them into quarters. Put in a bowl to one side.
Roll out the puff pastry on the counter. Don’t forget to put a little flour down to stop the pastry from sticking to your workbench. Roll the pastry to the circumference of the frying pan you’re going to use for the baking, and cut around to get the size and shape.
On the stove, melt the butter and sugar together over heat until it turns a brown caramel colour. The key is to get the mixture a dark colour without letting it burn.
Remove the caramel mix from the stove (be very cautious, as this liquid is super-hot and can burn if in contact with skin). Arrange the apples around the circumference of the frying pan with the apple segments facing down. Add more apples to fill up all the space in the pan. Try and pack as many apples as tightly as you can.
Place the puff pastry disk over the apples and lightly brush with butter. Remember to poke a few holes in the pastry with a knife to allow steam to escape during the cooking phase.
Place the frying pan in a preheated oven on moderate heat and bake until the pastry rises and turns brown.
Remove from the oven (remember to use a cloth or oven gloves as the handle will be red hot) and let the Tarte Tatin rest and cool on a bench until ready to serve.
Once ready to eat, place a serving plate over the top of the frying pan and pastry, then flip the pan over and let gravity release the Tarte Tatin from the pan.
Voila! A tasty apple treat awaits!
Note: The cooking method sounds a little complicated, but it is very straightforward. And best of all, you only require one frying pan to wash up.
Serving (serves eight)
Arrange your slices on a plate and add a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, crème anglaise or double cream. Yummy!
Pro Tip:
If preparing Tarte Tatin for a dinner party or special occasion, the Tarte Tatin can be cooked a day or two in advance and left in the frying pan and the fridge. Simply heat in the oven before requirement, and flip it out of the pan onto a serving plate. You will have also increased the flavour of the caramelized apples in the process, and taken the pressure off of party preparation.
Joke:
Q: What workout do apples love?
A: A core workout!
Wisdom:
Remember — an apple a day will make you awesome to the core!
And if you make this dessert, your friends and family will apple-laud your efforts! You might even become the apple of their eyes! (I’ll stop now ;)
I'll apple-laud you if you keep in touch on my mailing list :)
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