 |
     |
| Ingredients | | 16 ripe apricots | | 200g unsalted butter, cut into cubes | | 150g light brown sugar | | 1 packet puff pastry, divided into 80g per tart | | crème fraîche or whipped cream to serve |
|
| Apricot & Brown Sugar Tartes Tatin |
| 22 / 02 / 10 Celia Harvey |
| Photography by Kieran Scott |
| These French open-faced caramel tarts with slices or halves of fruit are cooked upside down. The fruit holds better unpeeled and adds to the simple, rustic beauty of these tarts. I made four individual ones, but you can also make one large one. |
Method |
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Wash and dry the apricots, cut them into even halves and remove the stones.
In a heavy-based skillet that can go in the oven, or 4 Tatin pans (about 10cm diameter and non-stick), place the cubes of butter. Melt on the stovetop until it starts to bubble then sprinkle in the sugar and allow it to dissolve. Carefully place the apricot halves skin side down. They should fit in snugly. The sugar mixture should be caramelising and bubbling around them.
Turn the heat off and leave the pan or pans to cool slightly.
On a floured bench, roll the pastry out until thin enough to see your hand under it. Cut into 4 discs slightly larger than the Tatin pans or into one large one.
Place the pastry carefully over the fruit and tuck in around the edges.
Bake on a tray to dark golden (20-25 minutes) then remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Place a serving plate over each tart, invert and turn the tart out. Take great care as hot caramel can leak out. Serve with a generous dollop of crème fraîche or cream. Serves 4. 
|
|
