Pear Tarte Tatin with Aniseed Caramel Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep tarte tatin from getting soggy? ›

Peel and quarter the apples. Use a small sharp knife to trim the hard cores and seeds from the center of each quarter; don't worry about being too neat. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, lightly covered, for at least one day or up to three days. (This key step reduces the amount of liquid in the tart.

Named after the woman who invented it, the Tarte Tatin (tart tah-TAN) is a famous French "upside-down" caramelized apple tart or Tarte aux pommes (caramélisé). Basically, the apples are underneath the dough – topsy-turvy indeed.

For best results, cook a day or two ahead and keep in its pan or dish in the fridge, then reheat in the oven for 20 mins at 150C/130C fan/gas 2 an hour before serving. Turn out to serve as above.

Choose a pan: a copper tarte tatin mold will be perfect (here's a link to a good one), but you can also use an iron skillet (as long as it doesn't smell like salmon or something) or even a heavy stainless steel (like All-Clad) or non-stick sauté pan.

Let the mix cook on a medium heat checking the color as it cooks. When the mix becomes brown and thick (not dark brown) remove the pan from the heat. Watch closely because if caramel burns will become bitter.

A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom. (Using metal is crucial: Glass or ceramic pans don't transfer heat as efficiently, so they can be accomplices to a sad, soggy bottom.)

Cast iron, enameled cast iron, or a special tarte tatin mold, available at many kitchenware shops, are best. In any case, it should be heavy-bottomed, with a handle that can withstand the heat of the oven.

Originally, the tarte Tatin was made with two regional apple varieties: Reine des Reinettes (Pippins) and Calville. Over the years, other varieties have tended to displace them, including Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji and Gala.

Whereas pies and tarts are baked in a mould or dish, galettes are freeform; laid on a flat sheet, its edges are turned up and folded inward by hand, producing a rustic appeal and a distinct shape—while tarts and pies have crusts that are wither straight or widen at the mouth, the mouths of galettes are smaller than its ...

Remove from the oven and cool until pan is still slightly warm but cool enough to touch, 1 to 2 hours (don't let the pan fully cool, as that could cause the caramel to thicken such that the tarte Tatin won't release when flipped). Cover the pan with a large dinner plate or platter, then carefully and quickly flip.

How to stop tarte Tatin sticking? ›

Then refrigerate the pastry for up to 12 hours allowing the sugar to cool and the apples to congeal together. Once it is thoroughly chilled, return the pan and it's contents to the stove over medium high heat and gently, with splayed palms, rotate the tart to be sure that it doesn't stick to the pan when you unmold it.

There are tricks to the trade of tart-pan use. Here's what I know: Always line the bottom of the pan with parchment. Either buy parchment rounds to make life easy, or trace the bottom of the tart pan on parchment, then cut the circle, square, or rectangle out.

Springform Pan 101: What is a Springform Pan and How Do You Use It. Springform pans are great for making cheesecakes, tarts, pies and even frozen desserts. The benefit of this pan is that it disassembles for easy removal of your treat.

You'll need an 8-inch cast-iron skillet. The unbaked tart can be prepared up to 8 hours in advance, covered with aluminum foil and refrigerated. Store any leftovers wrapped in aluminum foil. Inspired by a sweet potato tarte Tatin recipe by Bayou Bakery chef-owner David Guas.

Some people like to paint the surface of the pastry base with lightly beaten egg white after the beans have been removed and before returning the dish to the oven as the egg white cooks onto the surface of the pastry and can act as a slight sealant to help to keep the pastry crisp.

One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling. Also, avoid over-filling your pastry.

If your butter tarts unfortunately turn out too soggy, it's likely your filling was too watered down or your pastry was rolled too thin. Next time, make sure your pastry is only rolled out to a 1/4-inch-thickness. It may take a couple tries to perfect your butter tart, and that's totally OK!