Juicy apples covered in a caramel pan sauce make this French upside-down
tart gorgeous and luscious at the same time. Real vanilla bean accentuates
the apples’ natural sweetness and adds a warm, inviting aroma.
HANDS-ON TIME
1 hour
TOTAL TIME
2 hours
MAKES
8 servings
INGREDIENTS
- PASTRY:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- ½ cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp ice water (approx)
- APPLE TOPPING:
- 4 Pink Lady apples (see tip, below)
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- half vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
- pinch salt
DIRECTIONS
- PASTRY:
- In large bowl, whisk flour, sugar and salt.
- Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Whisk egg yolk with ice water; drizzle over flour mixture, tossing with fork and adding up to 2 tsp more ice water if necessary until mixture clumps.
- With floured hands, quickly press into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick disc.
- Wrap pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
- APPLE TOPPING:
- While pastry is chilling, peel and quarter Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples; halve each quarter lengthwise. Set aside.
- In 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
- Stir in sugar and vanilla bean; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Spread sugar mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange apples over top, overlapping and wedging tightly to fill pan.
- Cook, gently stirring and turning apples, tipping and rotating pan to baste with liquid, until apples are tender and syrup is thick and golden caramel in colour, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat; sprinkle with salt.
- Refrigerate in pan on rack for 20 minutes.
- Discard vanilla bean; carefully rearrange apples in pan into overlapping concentric circles.
- ASSEMBLY:
- On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into 11-inch (28 cm) circle.
- Drape loosely over rolling pin; unroll over apple mixture, tucking edge in between pan and apples.
- Cut 4 steam vents in centre of pastry.
- Bake in 425°F (220°C) oven for 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 375°F (190°C); bake until crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes.
- Invert heatproof platter over pan.
- Wearing oven mitts, turn pan upside down onto platter; carefully lift away pan.
- Using spatula, remove any apples stuck to pan and arrange over tarte.
- Spoon any pan syrup over top; let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION, PER SERVING:
- about 418 cal, 3 g pro, 24 g total fat (15 g sat. fat), 50 g carb, 2 g fibre, 85 mg chol, 165 mg sodium, 112 mg potassium.
- % RDI: 2% calcium, 6% iron, 21% vit A, 5% vit C, 12% folate.
TIP FROM THE TEST KITCHEN:
- Pink Lady apples are crisp, sweet-tart and great for eating out of hand.
- They are also terrific for cooking because they hold their shape well.
- If they aren’t available, try Golden Delicious.
