Tarte Tatin

Please forgive the overly orange tint to this picture. Unfortunately an orange Tupperware plate is the only plate that I have large enough to hold this masterpiece. I've been craving Caramel (or toffee or any browned sugar really) for the last few weeks. I saw a recipe on one of my favorite food blogs www.simplyrecipes.com for an apple upside down cake and wanted to do something with my apples.

I attempted a Tarte Tatin. It is a french upside-down apple tart. I have to admit, it was awesome. The toffee coated edges are my favorite. My husband said it needed something to "tart it up a bit, like stiletto heels." I'll try this again but next time I am going to try adding some lemon zest to the crust along with replacing the water with lemon juice. We'll see if that works. My other thought is to add some cranberries right before the crust goes on. We'll tweak it and I'll you know how it goes.

I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet and it worked beautifully.

6 medium-large Golden Delicious Apples (or about 3 pounds. I used Fuji and Braeburn since that's what I had I don't know if Granny Smith would work, they might have a bit too much juice)

1/2 C Butter

1 C White Sugar

1.) Make dough (see below). Roll into a 12 inch round and refrigerate.

2.) Peel, core and quarter the apples, set aside

3.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.Melt the butter in the skillet and sprinkle the sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and arrange the apples against the side of the pan, standing the apples on a thin edge to fit as many as possible (it will not stay pretty unless you rearrange before you put on the crust). Fill the center of the skillet with as many apples as possible. (There may be some left over)

4.) Place the skillet over high heat and cook, stirring frequently for about 15-18 minutes. (The sugar should be caramelized and the apples should be slightly tender).

5.) Remove the skillet from heat and slide the prepared crust onto the apples. Being careful not to burn your fingers (I used forks), gently tuck the edges of the dough against the inner sides of the skillet (make sure it's around all the apples).

6.) Bake the tart until the crust is browned 25-35 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 20 minutes then loosen the sides with a knife and invert it onto a serving plate that can withstand heat. Return any apples that stick to the skillet to their proper place on top of the tart.

Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Flaky Butter Pie Crust (for 1 tatin or 9 inch pie crust)

1 1/4 C Flour

1/2 tsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C Cold Butter

1 1/2 T Shortening

1/4 C Cold Water (more as needed)

1.) Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl

2.) Cut butter into 1/4 inch pieces and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles pea-sized pieces.

3.) Add the shortening and cut into mixture. Continue to blend with the pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. This should be done quickly to prevent the mixture from softening.

4.) Drizzle over flour mixture about 1/4 C Cold Water and gently mix until the mixture looks evenly moistened and begins to form small balls. Press down on the dough and if the balls do not stick together add a little water 1 T at a time. If they do, press the dough together with your hands until it is all incorporated. Do not overwork the dough. It should look rough.

5.) Roll between 2 pieces of plastic and refrigerate for the Tatin or wrap the unrolled dough in plastic and freeze or refrigerate. Frozen it will last up to 6 months, refrigerated it will last about 2-3 days.