:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Tarte-Tatin-FT-RECIPE0923-5fbf820c33ea4c12b23ff00c78f63471.jpg)
- Apple halves are first caramelized in butter and sugar right in the skillet until syrupy and richly browned.
- The dough is draped over the apples and baked until puffed and golden, then inverted so the fruit becomes the star.
- You can make the pastry and prep the apples ahead of time, then simply bake and flip when you’re ready to serve.
Each year high achievers in all of France’s trades, from hairdressers to chefs to florists, compete for the top honor of Meilleur Ouvrier de France — best worker in France. When Benoît Guichard competed with this iconic dessert, he placed first in the pastry category.
What is Tarte Tatin?
Tarte Tatin is a French dessert for which apples are caramelized in a cast-iron skillet with butter and sugar, then topped with a round of pastry dough and baked. After baking the tarte, you invert the skillet to serve it. Tarte Tatin was named for Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin, who created it at the Hôtel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, in the 1880s.
The best apples for Tarte Tatin
You want to make sure that the apples are flavorful and don’t bake down to mush for this dessert. Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonagold, and Northern Spy apples are great options.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
- We love that this dessert is simple but so impressive. The trick is to make sure your platter is larger than the diameter of the skillet, so you can flip it over without losing the apples. If any do slip out or stick to the pan, just place them in the tart.
- You can make this a few hours in advance of a dinner party and serve it at room temperature or warmed for a few minutes in a 300°F oven.
- Top Tarte Tatin with ice cream, crème fraîche, or whipped cream.
Suggested pairing
An apple tart like this one calls out for a sweet white wine, such as a honeyed and unctuous German Auslese.
