Quill & Parchment: Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin
from the kitchen of Sharmagne Leland-St. John

For the pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons ( 1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
½ cup iced water

For the fruit:
4 Granny Smith apples
½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
½ cup apricot jelly or apricot jam
3 tablespoons peach schnapps, Calvados, apricot brandy, or water

Mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut the butter
into small pats and rub into the flour mixture until the
dough forms into pieces the size of peas. Add the iced
water and work just until the dough starts to come together.
Turn out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball.
Do not overly knead. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at
least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400º F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Trim the
edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate
while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Slice the
top and bottom off the apples. Remove the cores with a melon
baller. Slice the apples into ¼-inch thick slices. Place overlapping
slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart dough and
continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until
the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with the entire ½
cup of sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the
edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking.
It is normal for the apple juices to burn in the pan but the tart will be
fine. When the tart is cooked, heat the apricot jelly together with the
brandy and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly.
mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the
paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tarte Tatin

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