Tarte Tatin

Tarte tatin is made by baking apples in sugar under a blanket of pastry, then inverting the tart out of the pan for serving to reveal a stunner of a dessert: velvety, caramel-soaked fruits atop a tender, buttery crust. Said to have been invented by accident by the Tatin sisters in the late 19th century, the rustic tart is a now a culinary classic. For our version, we add a little maple syrup to the sugar mixture; it helps the granules dissolve while also adding subtle woodsy notes that pair perfectly with the apples. Honeycrisp is the apple variety of choice, as the fruits strike a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. And though they soften with cooking, their texture does not turn mealy or mushy. Galas are the runner-up. (See below for variations with pears or peaches.) Many tarte tatin recipes use puff pastry as the crust, but we prefer our homemade pie pastry. It’s crisp, flaky and rich in butter, with a sturdiness that can handle the generous caramel and fruit. You will need an oven-safe 10-inch skillet. We caution against cast-iron, as its dark color cooks and bakes differently than a standard skillet and its heft makes it tricky to unmold the tart. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or gelato or with lightly sweetened whipped cream.