Upside Down You’re Turning Me
Let’s be real, France has created and produced some of the best sweet stuff on this earth. From flakey pastries to smooth chocolate, you can find something crazy-delicious to soothe your current craving. If I had to choose one dessert that screams France though, it would be the Tarte Tatin.

Tarte Tatin is the O.G. of upside-down desserts. Apples and caramel are combined with puff pastry in a trifecta of perfectly matched classic flavors. Flip it over onto a platter, add a little vanilla ice cream on top and it becomes mind-blowing. Mastering the caramel can be tricky but once you have it down the results are the greatest reward for your hard work. Of course, even the “bad batches” are pretty good too…

Tarte Tatin Recipe
Yields 5 servings

Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (we recommend Dufour)
1.5 kg apple, preferably Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, for serving

Directions
Prep the pastry
Using a 9-inch flat-sided cake pan as a template, cut a circle from the puff pastry. Using a fork, poke holes all over to provide ventilation. Set aside.

Prep the apples
Peel, core, and quarter the apples.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Make the caramel
In a large saucepan set over medium heat, add the water and distribute the sugar in the pan. Cook until it turns light amber in color, stirring to help melt any lumps (about 5-7 minutes).

Add the butter, stirring constantly until the color is a creamy light brown.

Add the apples
Add the apples, stirring until they are coated in a thick layer of caramel. And, cook turning the apples constantly so that they bathe in the caramel (about 15-20 minutes). Be careful not to burn the caramel, tasting it from time to time to ensure it does not taste bitter.

Remove the pan from the heat when the caramel has reduced and little remains in the bottom of the pan.

Assemble the tarte
Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles on the bottom of the cake pan, pressing the apples tightly against each other. Then pour the remaining caramel over the top.

Lay the circle of puff pastry on top of the caramel. Tuck the puff pastry down the sides of the pan.

Bake the tarte
Bake the tart until the pastry is golden brown and firm (about 45-50 minutes).

Allow to cool
Cool the tarte for about 1 hour, then invert it onto a plate. Slice and serve with vanilla bean ice cream.