95 min
Instant Pot Vietnamese-Style Bò Kho with Carrots & Noodles
Aromatic beef and honeycomb tripe become tender in a star-anise tomato broth, with carrots, daikon and noodles added in stages so every component keeps its shape.
Photo: Loslazos / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Desserts
French Tarte Tatin with Caramelized Apples
Deeply bronzed apples bake beneath crisp butter pastry, then flip into a glossy upside-down tart with clear caramel and unmolding cues.
Directions
Prepare the pastry
Roll the cold puff pastry into a 12-inch round. Place on parchment, prick lightly with a fork and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes while preparing the apples.
Cut and season the apples
Peel, quarter and core the apples. Toss with lemon juice. Keep the quarters large; they shrink during the stovetop and oven cooking.
Make the caramel
Heat sugar in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat without stirring, swirling only after the edges melt. Cook until evenly amber, 6 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in butter, salt, vanilla and cinnamon; the mixture will bubble vigorously.
Arrange and pre-cook
Pack apple quarters tightly in concentric circles, rounded sides down. Return the skillet to medium-low and cook 18 to 22 minutes, spooning caramel over the fruit, until the apples begin to soften and the liquid becomes syrupy.
Cover with pastry
Heat the oven to 400°F. Drape the chilled pastry over the apples, tuck the edge carefully inside the skillet and cut three small steam vents in the center.
Bake until deeply golden
Bake 28 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden and crisp and caramel bubbles around the edge. If using a thermometer, the center of the pastry should be about 200°F. Cool in the skillet for 15 minutes—long enough for the caramel to thicken, but not set hard.
Invert safely
Run a thin knife around the edge. Wearing oven mitts, center a rimmed serving plate over the skillet and invert in one confident motion. Lift the skillet away from your body. Replace any stuck apples and spoon caramel over the glossy fruit to match the photograph.
Why this works
Why it worksTwo firm apple varieties balance acidity and sweetness while holding their shape through both stovetop caramelizing and baking.
Why it worksPre-cooking drives off apple juice before pastry is added, preventing a watery caramel and soggy base.
Why it worksA 15-minute rest lets bubbling caramel become syrupy enough to coat the apples without hardening them to the pan.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
Paid links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You pay no additional cost.
Compare on Amazon10-inch cast-iron skilletA heat-steady oven-safe skillet takes the caramel, tightly packed apples and pastry from stovetop to oven in one pan.See current options →
Compare on AmazonDigital kitchen scaleWeights keep the apple and pastry proportions consistent so the inverted tart is fruit-forward without overloading its crust.See current options →
Compare on AmazonHeat-safe oven mittsSecure hand and forearm protection is essential when inverting a skillet filled with very hot caramel.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use a 12-ounce round of homemade rough puff pastry if preferred; keep it cold before baking.
- Firm pears can replace half the apples, but choose underripe fruit and expect a slightly softer arrangement.
- For a dairy-free tart, use vegan puff pastry and a firm plant-based baking butter with similar fat content.
Cook notes
- Total time includes a 20-minute pastry chill and a 15-minute cooling window before inversion.
- Caramel is extremely hot. Keep children away from the stove and oven during cooking and unmolding.
- Use an oven-safe 10-inch skillet with no plastic or wood components; a cast-iron skillet produces steady caramelization.
- If the caramel smells bitter or turns nearly black, discard it carefully after cooling and start again.
- Choose a serving plate with a rim because warm caramel can run when the tart is inverted.
Storage
Tarte Tatin is best the day it is baked. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat slices on a sheet pan at 350°F for 8 to 12 minutes; avoid the microwave if you want the pastry crisp. Do not freeze the assembled tart because the apples release water as they thaw.
Questions
Why did my apples stick to the skillet?
The tart probably cooled too long. Warm the skillet over low heat for 30 to 60 seconds to loosen the caramel, then invert again with oven mitts.
Can I assemble the tart ahead?
You can cook and arrange the apples up to 4 hours ahead, cool and refrigerate them in the skillet, then add cold pastry and bake. Add 5 to 10 minutes because the skillet starts cold.
Why is my puff pastry soggy?
The apples released too much liquid or the pastry was warm. Reduce the apple juices to a thick syrup before covering, chill the pastry well and bake until deeply golden rather than merely pale.
Cook next
More recipes you’ll like
95 min
42 min
Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Mini Muffins
Tender orange-crumb pumpkin mini muffins get a warm butter dip and complete cinnamon-sugar coating for a crisp, sparkling finish and soft spiced center.
105 min
Turkish İmam Bayıldı with Tomato-Onion Filling, Rice & Yogurt
Whole eggplants collapse around a sweet tomato-onion filling, then pair with lemony rice and cool yogurt for a generous meatless dinner.
115 min
Chilean-Style Pastel de Choclo with Beef & Basil Corn Topping
A savory beef-and-onion filling bakes beneath a lightly sweet, basil-scented fresh-corn crust for a dramatic golden family casserole.
French Tarte Tatin with Caramelized Apples
Screen stays awake when supported.
1. Prepare the pastryRoll the cold puff pastry into a 12-inch round. Place on parchment, prick lightly with a fork and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes while preparing the apples.
2. Cut and season the applesPeel, quarter and core the apples. Toss with lemon juice. Keep the quarters large; they shrink during the stovetop and oven cooking.
3. Make the caramelHeat sugar in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat without stirring, swirling only after the edges melt. Cook until evenly amber, 6 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in butter, salt, vanilla and cinnamon; the mixture will bubble vigorously.
4. Arrange and pre-cookPack apple quarters tightly in concentric circles, rounded sides down. Return the skillet to medium-low and cook 18 to 22 minutes, spooning caramel over the fruit, until the apples begin to soften and the liquid becomes syrupy.
5. Cover with pastryHeat the oven to 400°F. Drape the chilled pastry over the apples, tuck the edge carefully inside the skillet and cut three small steam vents in the center.
6. Bake until deeply goldenBake 28 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden and crisp and caramel bubbles around the edge. If using a thermometer, the center of the pastry should be about 200°F. Cool in the skillet for 15 minutes—long enough for the caramel to thicken, but not set hard.
7. Invert safelyRun a thin knife around the edge. Wearing oven mitts, center a rimmed serving plate over the skillet and invert in one confident motion. Lift the skillet away from your body. Replace any stuck apples and spoon caramel over the glossy fruit to match the photograph.