This classic French pastry requires just 4 ingredients.
It’s sweet and fruity – and it’s the ideal treat when you want a show-stopping dessert with little fuss.
Enjoy!
Things to know:
- Tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert that features caramelised fruit, usually apples, which are cooked in butter and sugar – before being baked with a pastry crust.
- We use plant-based butter and pastry, which are now readily available in most large supermarkets.
- The unique twist of this dish is that it is traditionally made upside down. The fruit and caramel are first cooked in a pan, and then a sheet of pastry is placed on top. After baking, the tart is flipped over so the caramelised fruit is on top and the pastry forms the base.
Notes:
- You’ll end up with some leftover pastry, which you can wrap in baking paper and store in the fridge in an air-tight container. We often use up the leftover pastry to make mini apple tarts. Simply roll out the pastry, cut into circles, then topped with sugar and sliced apple, before baking for 25-30 minutes.
- If you can’t find plant-based butter, you can use a plant-based margarine instead.
- We love to use Golden Delicious apples for this Tarte Tatin because they’re firm and semi-sweet. Braeburn also works really well.
- Shop-bought puff pastry is often vegan-friendly, but it’s worth checking the label to be sure.
- If you can’t find golden caster sugar, regular caster sugar or granulated sugar will also work.
Tarte Tatin
Ingredients
- 500 g block of puff pastry, see notes
- 7 apples, see notes
- 100 g golden caster sugar
- 3 tbsp plant-based butter
Extras
- plain flour, for dusting
- plant-based ice cream, to serve (optional)
Method
- Sprinkle some flour on a worktop and roll out the pastry to 0.5cm thick and approx 30cm x 30cm (12” x 12”) in size. Place the pastry on a sheet of baking paper, roll it up and leave it in the fridge while you carry out the next steps.
- Peel and cut the apples into quarters, removing the cores as you go.
- Add the sugar to a 26cm (10”) oven-proof pan on a low-medium heat and cook for 5-6 minutes or until melted, stirring frequently to avoid the build up of any large clumps or crystals. Make sure the heat isn't too high so that the sugar doesn't burn.
- Once the sugar has melted, reduce the heat, add the butter to the pan and stir until melted.
- Once melted, arrange the apple quarters across the pan in a neat pattern. Turn the heat up a little then leave to cook for 10 minutes while the caramel bubbles away. Then remove the pan from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 425°F.
- Next, remove the rolled out pastry from the fridge and place it on top of the pan. Using scissors or a knife, trim the excess pastry from around the pan (see notes for storing any leftover pastry). Then tuck the edges of the pastry into the pan using a spoon.
- Prick the pastry a dozen or so times with a fork and make a small incision in the middle with a knife to allow the air to escape. Then bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the caramel is bubbling up around the sides.
- When the tart is ready, place a large plate (larger than the pan) on top of the pan. Then use oven gloves or a couple of tea towels to carefully (and quickly) flip the pan onto the plate.
- To serve, slice into 8 and dollop some ice cream on top. Enjoy!