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Hi Bold Bakers!
It’s Gemma’s mum, Patricia, sharing a recipe with you for the holidays. Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin is a favorite in our house. Mainly because it’s super quick to put together, and also for the simple reason that everyone loves it!
Apple Tarte Tatin has its origins in France, and this recipe is a favorite of mine from the great chef Raymond Blanc. From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy it!

Do you need a special pan for Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin?
The best pan to make any kind of tarte tatin in is a well seasoned cast iron pan. Cast iron conducts heat really well and really helps the fruit to cook through and caramelize.
If you don’t have a cast iron pan you can use another pan, just make sure the pan and its handle are oven safe. You’ll want to avoid nonstick pans for recipes like this Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin, too, as they don’t create the same depth of flavor or color in the caramel.

What kind of pastry is used for Tarte Tatin?
One of the best parts of this Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin is the way the puff pastry really melds with the caramel. The combination of the flakey buttery pastry with the sour apples and sweet caramel is really what makes this dessert sing.
While you can use a homemade puff pastry, or my rough puff pastry, you can definitely use store bought — just buy the best quality you can. I used pre-made frozen puff pastry for this recipe because it really does save me time. In the time it usually takes me to peel my apples and make the caramel, the crust is defrosted and ready to go.
[ Here is my Rough Puff Pastry Recipe! ]
What kind of apples work best? Can you use other fruit?
Making an apple tart in my younger years was a much simpler process and was usually made with a very sour “cooking” apple, called a Bramley seedling. This tarte however is made with an “eating” apple. Cox’s Orange Pippin, Braeburn, Elstar, Jonagold, Granny Smith, or even Golden Delicious apples are all good for this.
Tarte tatins are a great way to showcase seasonal fruit from pears to plums, and there are lots of other fruits you can make into a tarte tatin. Additionally, you can also make a savory tarte tatin using onions, shallots or beets. Yum!

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