FRENCH APPLE TART

when life gets hard, bake something easy

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Hello!

Well, we’ve reached the hard part. The hard part of living away from home—that is. Those who read this post (10 Things I Love About Living Abroad) probably knew it was coming: a moment—that turning point when the honeymoon period is over and things get real.

A wee update: we’re here.

There’s a nip in the air, I’m tired of sweeping and Greta went off to school today crying—it’s HARD to sit in a classroom all day where you’re only absorbing 30%. I’ll say it again and again—these kids are brave, brave, brave.

Also: How do you tile a 300-year-old stone wall that’s slumped and swollen in places? (Please write if you have an answer, I’ll be here waiting).

On the flip side, it’s baking season, and almost nothing makes me happier than baking season. You can keep almost all hard things at bay, at least for a moment, while the oven is on.

Lately, I’ve had Tarte Tatin on the brain. Probably because when you get spoiled with excellent strudel and perfect Linzer tarts (I know), you crave something different. Something—French.

At this point, you might be confused. And, understandably. Wasn’t this a post about baking easy things? Yes. And I hear you—maybe you’re intimidated by this infamous apple tart, or any apple tart, for that matter. I get that; I went to culinary school, worked in three-star pastry kitchens, and lived in Paris, and still—I almost never make a Tarte Tatin. But consider this: nearly any tart or pie where you don’t have to make the actual pastry yourself is easy. And quick!

First though, a word about a Tarte Tatin’s energy—its allure, if you will.

It’s a whole vibe.

White table cloths, hot coffee, elegance. Are you with me?

I don’t remember my first Tarte Tatin. Maybe it was in one of the fancy French restaurants my father treated us to every Christmas in Chicago. Or perhaps it was when I first moved to New York City, at Union Square Cafe, the it restaurant in those days. Or during culinary school?

I certainly had plenty of them when I lived in the tiny village of Dieulefit, France, for a season, teaching Americans how to cook in the cellar of the former king’s summer home. They must have served it at the cafe where I went to have my lemon verbena tea, always with a craggy lump of brown sugar. It’s just, I don’t remember any of them.

But I definitely remember the best Tarte Tatin I ever had, because it was such a surprise. It was in Kingston, New York. Yes—really!

We had owned our house around the corner for many years, but we’d only eaten at the French restaurant in town, Le Canard, once, when Greta was an infant. My parents had flown in and taken us straight to dinner, with our 4-week-old baby in tow. She happily slept through the mussels and duck confit, and straight through the chocolate mouse, which I’m sure we would have ordered, if it was up to my dad and me. But we all missed the Tart Tatin, completely.

One day, when Greta was about 8, she and I walked past Le Canard on a slow Sunday. Since we were dressed for it, we slipped inside with plans for coffee (for me) and croissants. Just then, a man in crisp chef’s whites danced through the dining room with a platter held over his head, balanced on three fingertips. Into the pastry case opposite our table, he slid the most perfectly jewel-toned Tarte Tatin.

Alors! We did what any respecting young women would do at that moment, and ordered it. It was, in a word—everything.

I’ve since learned that you can buy this perfect Tarte Tatin whole—and over the years I’ve often thought that would be a genius party trick: you focus on one simple, delicious main course, and a salad, maybe—and have this treasure waiting for your guests in the wings.

But then again, why? It’s not hard to make—even to make well. See for yourself, below. If I can make this in our tiny temporary oven, with half our house under construction—imagine what you can do in yours.

xx

Sarah

EASY APPLE TART TATIN

Serves 6 to 8

1 lemon, halved

1.5 kilograms medium to small tart apples

3 tablespoons water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons good quality unsalted butter

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (half an approx 1 lb package)*

ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

1. Prepare a bowl of acidulated water (water with lemon juice). Peel and core your apples and keep them in the water. Cut them into halves (if small) or quarters (if large) and return to the water.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. (190 C). Butter a 9 or 10-inch baking tin, cake pan or springform pan and have a baking sheet nearby.

3. Combine the water and sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook until it is light amber in color, stirring occasionally to break up any lumps, about 6 minutes. When it is an even golden color (do not burn—you don’t want a bitter taste to come through), add the butter, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon to melt into the caramel; it should be alight, creamy brown.

4. Drain and add the apples, stirring to coat with the caramel. Continue to cook over medium heat until the apples are soft and bathed in caramel, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and taste the caramel (it should not taste bitter or burnt).

5. Arrange the apples in concentric circles along the bottom of the buttered baking dish or cake pan, pressing tightly against one another. Pour the remaining caramel over the top.

6. Lay the puff pastry sheet over the top, and tuck any excess pastry down in the sides of the pan, folding over any square corners onto itself. Prick with a fork.

7. Bake until the pastry is evenly golden brown and firm throughout, about 50 minutes. Cool on a plate for 30 minutes and then turn onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, with fresh whipped cream or ice cream and coffee.

*Cook’s Note: Sometimes you have to take whatever brand of puff pastry you can get, but I love Dufour when I can get it. Look for European brands that are all butter, when possible. Most likely the puff you buy will be rectangular, regardless of brand. You could roll it and trim it into a circle— but it's not necessary. Lay it over the apples and then tuck in the edges, overlapping back on itself to make a roughly round shape.

WHERE TO GET THE BEST APPLE PASTRY (IF YOU’RE IN NEW YORK)

APPLE STRUDEL // Café Sabarsky, New York, NY

APPLE TARTE TATIN // Buvette, New York, NY

AMERICAN APPLE PIE // Peete’s Pie Company, New York, NY

CIDER DONUTS // Adam’s Fairacre Farm, Poughkeepsie /Kingston, NY

APPLE TARTE TATIN // Le Canard, Kingston, NY

WHERE TO GET THE BEST APPLE PASTRIES (IF YOU’RE IN BUDAPEST)*:

APPLE STRUDEL // Strudel Haz, Budapest

ALMAS PITE // New York Cafe, Budapest

TARTE TATIN // Cafe Vian, Budapest

APPLE STRUDEL // Normafa Rétes, Budapest (where the locals go)

*Though the best strudel is usually at nagymama’s house (anyone’s nagymama!) or in the stalls at the piac, or market, these are crowd favorites, worth visiting when in Budapest.

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Food Photos and portraits for this post by Sarah Copeland + Mátyas Gipp (age 7).