Classic Tarte Tatin With Brandy Chantilly Cream
Tarte Tatin is one of the worlds most famous desserts. The classic upside down caramel apple tart owing its name to the Tatin sisters. But the popular dish on the menu at Hotel Tatin in France was called Tart Solognote. It wasn’t until after the sisters died that the famous dish appeared as Tart Tatin on the menu at Maxims hotel in Paris… and the rest is history!
Ingredients
For the Caramel
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
For the base
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- 200g butter
- 3 tbsp cold water
For the topping
- 2 lb Granny Smith’s apples – peeled and sliced
- 4 tbsp butter
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
For the chantilly cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup sugar or sugar to taste if you don’t want it to be too sweet.
- 2 tbsp brandy
Method.
- Pre heat the oven to 190 degrees
- Prepare the base by rubbing the butter into the flour and gradually adding the water.
- Chill the paste for at least 1 hour for the fat to set up.
- Prepare the caramel by bringing the sugar and water to a boil in a small heavy based pan.
- Whisk once it comes to a boil and then boil without stirring until it is golden and caramel colored.
- Pour about a 1/3 into the bottom of a 20cm cake tin so that it covers the bottom and allow it to cool.
- Carefully add about ½ cup of water to the caramel remaining in the pan and leave to cool.
- Prepare the apples by melting the butter in a pan and adding the sugar, apples and lemon zest and juice.
- Cook for about 5 minutes until the apples start to soften.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool, tilting the skillet so that the juices run off the apples.
- Lay the apples in a pattern in the cake tin and top with the remaining apples.
- Roll out the paste to about ½ inch thick and place over the top of the apples – cutting around the edges of the cake tin.
- Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the caramel starts to bubble around the edges of the paste.
- Remove from the oven and invert onto a warm plate. Pour the remaining caramel sauce over the top of the apples and serve with the Chantilly cream.
- Whip 1 cup of cream and ¼ cup sugar until almost stiff,
- Whisk in 2tbsp brandy, or to taste.
