Salted Caramel Tarte Tatin

Tarte tatin, a gorgeously simple French dessert, is baked with the apples on the bottom of the pan and the crust on top and inverted before serving for a dramatic presentation. This version amps up the drama with salted caramel made right in the Tarte Tatin, then sliced apples are arranged on top and baked beneath buttery puff pastry dough. The subtle saltiness of the caramel with the sweet tartness of the apples makes for a flavor combination that’s magnifique!

7-8 medium sweet-tart apples, like gala, braeburn, honeycrisp or jonagold

1/4 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

½ teaspoon flaky or fine sea salt

14-ounce sheet all-butter puff pastry

All-purpose flour, for dusting

Peel, quarter and core the apples. Browning will not affect the final tart. Scatter sugar evenly over bottom of Tarte Tatin. Add water and place pan over low heat. Once sugar has melted, increase heat to medium and simmer until medium golden caramel in color, about 5-10 minutes. 

Remove from heat immediately and add butter. Stir constantly—butter will bubble and foam—until all butter is incorporated. Sprinkle sea salt over caramel and carefully arrange apple pieces on top, forming a tight ring around the outside of pan with cut sides down, then filling the center.  Be sure to fill pan completely, apples will shrink as they cook. Return pan to burner over low heat. Cook apples 5 more minutes then turn off heat and let the apples cool completely.

Heat the oven to 425°F. Roll the puff pastry on a floured surface to an 11 in. square. Lay pastry over the cooled apples in the pan. Trim the corners of the pastry at the edge of the pan, then carefully tuck pastry inside the edge around the apples, making sure they don’t move. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until dark golden and puffed. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 10-15 minutes. Carefully invert the tarte onto a serving plate.