I'm sure that everybody made an apple tart at least once in life as it is such a common desert and I thought I cannot be any more impressed. But this one, first is a French-style apple pie, known as Tarte Tatin, usually made with caramel sauce and turned upside down after baking. Second, it has such a special design that you'll rarely see entering a classic pastry shop. Third, although seems fancy and complicated, it is super simple in terms of preparation and the number of ingredients used.
What was more complicated to figure out was how to cut the apples into such long sheets. Cutting them by knife is almost impossible. Using a potato peeler maybe can help a bit but it can be frustrating. You need a special cutter for them. The French chefs know this cutter well to create all sorts of fancy fruits and vegetable decorations but the price for one is way too high for a simple home baker like me. I found however a cheap plastic alternative (compared to full metallic French versions) with a good blade. How long this will be working well, we'll see, but for its first usage did its job perfectly and I am happy about it. However, I am not sure how often I will use it in the future.
I was mentioning earlier its simplicity. This tart is about a puff pastry sheet, apples and a caramel sauce made from sugar and butter. It takes longer to bake properly (about 2 hours) and it needs to rest for at least 4 hours (or better overnight in the fridge) to set properly. Yes, it takes a long duration but there is not much work time consuming for the baker (assuming you have the right tools to make the apple sheets).
Now that I tried it, I feel I want to do it again and my imagination has just opened to lots of new designs.
The tart itself is wow just the way it is. If you haven't tried it before, I highly recommend it. The taste is fantastic and deep. It is sweet but not extra sweet. I think that sugar can be even more reduced and still keep it delicious.
Ingredients:
- 150g sugar
- 45g butter
- 25g+25g olive oil
- ~15 apples (preferably big, of the same size and shape)
- 1 puff pastry
- 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar (optional)
Directions:
- Prepare the caramel sauce by sprinkling sugar in steps in a pan over low heat. When the first layer of sugar starts to melt, add the second layer and so on until the sugar is fully used.
- Cut the butter into cubes and mix it with the caramelised sugar.
- While still hot, pour the sauce into a round silicone mould of 18cm and let it cool.
- Then, take care of the apples. You'll need to cut the apples into fine sheets. With these long sheets start by making a rose and roll around more sheets to make it as big as the pan (18cm).
- Add 25g of olive oil over the already hardened caramel sauce in the silicone mould.
- Transfer the rolled apple sheets into the silicone mould and press them well inside.
- Add the remaining 25g of olive oil over the roll of apples.
- Bake for 1 hour at 180ºC, take it out of the oven and press the shrunk apple roll with a spatula to submerge it into the formed sauce. Put it back in the oven for 30 minutes then repeat the pressing with the spatula and then again bake it for 30 minutes.
- When the 2 baking hours are over, let it cool at room temperature for at least 4 hours. Preferably, put it in the fridge overnight and continue the tart the next day.
- Prepare the puff pastry sheet by cutting it into a circle of 18-19cm. (it will shrink a bit when baked)
- Bake the puff pastry in the oven at 180ºC for 30 minutes.
- If you wish, take it out of the oven 5 minutes before and sprinkle the powdered sugar over it, then continue to bake it until the sugar is nicely melted.
- Let the puff pastry cool to room temperature.
- Assemble the tart by putting the puff pastry over the baked roll of apples and return the tart onto a plate. Prepare your knife to cut it and you are ready to taste it.
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