TARTE TATIN

TARTE TATIN: an upside down apple pie – but why?

Rumour has it that French Tatin sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline had a small crisis in the kitchen….The result: a traditional apple tart served upside-down. Whatever the truth, this ranks among one of my favourite desserts – the pastry on top stays golden and crispy, while the apples caramelise below.

We christened my father’s Emile Henry tatin set the last time I was in Provence. This one ceramic dish does everything: first make the caramel directly on the stove top using butter and sugar, add the apple slices, cover with pastry and bake until golden brown. When done, the tarte tatin turns out easily onto the matching plate.

Caramel: Getting the caramel recipe to work can take a little practice, click on the link ‘Tarte Tatin‘ below for more on this and the tarte tatin recipe:

ERIKA ALLISTON: Tarte Tatin Recipe

Pastry:

• 170g white flour
• 80g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten

1. Combine four, salt & sugar
2. Add butter, mix with fingers until looks like bread crumbs
3. Add egg and mix till a smooth ball forms
4. Chill for 30 minutes

Caramel:

• 170g white sugar
• 50g unsalted butter

Filling:

• 6 small cooking apples (ie Russets), peeled & cut into 6es
• 30g white sugar
• 30g unsalted butter

1. On the hob/stove top, melt 170g white sugar
2. When the sugar is JUST melted and a light golden colour, remove from the heat – do this earlier than later as the hot pan will continue to cook the sugar when off the heat!**
3. Add 50g butter, mix till forms a smooth caramel. There is always a little butter that won’t fully mix in.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F
5. Place the apple pieces evenly around the dish.
6. Sprinkle with 30g sugar + place small cubes of butter around the apples
7. Cover with pastry, tuck in the corners
8. Bake for 40 minutes
9. Remove and LET SIT for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a plate

**As we are among friends I will tell you that my 1st attempt at making the caramel was a disaster… I burned the sugar, not removing it from the heat in time. My 2nd attempt was slightly better, I tried adding water to melt the sugar, but it just evaporated. They say 3 times a charm and it was – just watch the heat and remove the golden sugar a few minutes before you think it’s done!

Apple Crumble

Apple Crumble

I think certain deserts are underestimated; an easy recipe can be just as delicious as a complicated one. In fact chefs nowadays seem to be signing the praises of just such an idea.

I have always loved apple crumble, all the wonderful taste of apple pie, without fiddling around with rolled-out pastry. The crumble for this recipe actually comes from Ottolenghi’s carrot muffins. I think it is the addition of black sesame seeds and honey that makes this buttery crumble so fabulous. Your taste buds will thank you!

You can adapt this recipe using white sesame seeds if you don’t have black ones, pears instead of apples and cook the crumble for 10 minutes longer at 150°C if you prefer a softer fruit texture.

See link ‘apple crumble’ below for recipe:

APPLE CRUMBLE – ERIKA ALLISTON –  Sweet Pea Blog

Cooking apples

The crumble

• 50g unsalted butter
• 75g white all-purpose flour
• 25g brown sugar
• 50g whole rolled oats
• 20g sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon warm water
• 1 teaspoon sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon honey

1. Cut the butter into small cubes, set aside
2. Combine the flour, sugar, oats and seeds.
3. With your fingers, work the butter cubes into the dry ingredients until you have a bread crumb consistency.
4. Combine the water, oil and honey, then add to the crumble, mixing with your fingers till well combined

Apple Crumble

• 450g chopped cooking apples (approx. 3 medium whole apples)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C / 340°F
2. Cut apples into small cubes
3. Butter a small baking dish
4. Add the apples
5. Evenly sprinkle with the crumble
6. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Serve warm

Baked Apples

Baked Apples seemed to be an appropriate welcome back, New Years resolution, apple desert recipe.  What better way to satisfy your sweet tooth while watching your waist line. Plus baked apples are a cinch to make… core, stuff, bake. That’s it. No fuss no muss.

Olivier’s parents have an apple orchard in France and this year they were overwhelmed with the yield. There were enough apples for the Russian army I tell you. So each week we receive a top up, which means I continuously have a bag of these golden red globes in my fridge. I would be complaining except that they are absolutely delicious and make wonderful apple sauce, pies, cakes, muffins not to mention baked apples.

RECIPE :  Erika Alliston – Sweet Pea Blog, BAKED APPLES

• 6 cooking apples
• 1 handful whole almonds
• 1 handful raisins
• a pinch ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 15g melted unsalted butter

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (355°F) convection heat.
2. Coarsely chop the almonds, set aside
3. Melt the butter.
4. Add the chopped almonds, raisins, spices and brown sugar to the butter, stir well, set aside.
5. Prepare the apples; remove the core. Using a sharp knife draw a line around the middle of each apple (see picture). Stuff with the nut/spice mixture till it reaches the top of each apple.
6. Cook for 45 -60 minutes (depending on the size of your cooking apples), until apples are very tender when poked with a knife.
7. Serve immediately

The DUTCH Series N°2

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ This is a great saying however this is just one minor detail they left out…. the cooking instructions!

Taking advantage of this little loophole and the fact that it is currently the apple season, I have invented a quick & healthy recipe, within the guidelines of the Dutch Series.

Now I am not suggesting that you run triumphantly down to your doctors’ office, boasting how you have found a justification to eat more desert…. a chink in the dietary armor so to say. Perhaps best to remain discrete and if you do happen to have a sweet tooth, here is your prefect solution to satisfy a craving while keeping an eye on your waistline & budget!

RECIPE - SWEET PEA Blog

As I did not have a basic recipe to work from and was cooking ‘au pif – by the nose’, I tried several different combinations of spices and different quantities of sugar, to find my preferred balance. Often the best food is the simplest and there is something so comforting about hot apple compote that leaves you feeling warm & satisfied.

COOKING APPLES: by definition are primarily used for cooking rather than eating fresh. They are generally larger in size, less sweet when uncooked, with a more floury texture. They naturally soften and release their sweetness when cooked.

I will soon be posting a recipe for molasses caramel, a heavenly twist on the traditional caramel that goes divinely with this recipe.

Sugar & spice makes everything nice….

• 2 large cooking apples (480 grams whole)
• 20 grams unsalted butter
• 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar (depending on how sweet your apples are)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1 whole star anise

1. Peel & core the apples. Chop into 8 slices then into large cubes.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the sugar & spices, let simmer for a minute
3. Add the apples and mix well.
4. Cover & cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes. All the water should be absorbed and the apples very soft when tested with a knife
5. Normally no blending is needed as the apples will naturally soften and loose their form
6. Sever warm