It is pie time!  Maybe it is because fall is here…..

I am making Apple Tarte Tatin – there is nothing better when it comes to pies. Someone said you should play theatre when you fell depressed or down but I say you should bake!

Inspired by Jonas (my son) who made it 4 years ago for Xmas and The Joy of Cooking

Crust

 
150 g chilled butter, 1 1/2 cup flour  (litet mindre än 3 dl) and  
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Filling

7 medium apple, a firm kind  (I got mine from my neighbour who picked them at a friends house) so I don’t know what they are called)
 125 g salted butter
 and 1 cup sugar

Put the dry ingredients for the crust and the butter in the freezer for a while. It is important to have all the crust ingredients ice cold!

Chill for 20 minutes, cut the cubes of butter and dry ingredients until no piece is larger than peas. Add the ice water a little at a time, kneed just until the dough starts to come together. Turn out onto well-floured surface and pat together into a ball. Flour the top of the dough and use rolling pin to quickly press and roll the dough out into a circle (1/2 – 1 cm) big enough to fit the top of your pan (cast iron or ovenproof skillet which can be ON the stove too). Cover crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate. It you have too much dough make another pie – I made a mushroom pie.

Preheat oven to 200 C

Peel (you can but don’t have to – I like the sour peelings in my pies), core and quarter the apples. Small apples (our kanel äppel in Finland) can be cut in half – it will make a more beutiful pie.

Over low heat in a heavy, ovenproof skillet measuring (pie size) melt the butter. Remove from heat, add the sugar and stir until blended. Arrange apple quarters in the pan with the peelside down – that side will be up in the end.

Return your pan to the stovetop on high heat. Let boil for 12 – 20 minutes or until the sugar in the pan turns dark yellow. Remove from heat.

Place the crust on top of the apples. Tuck edges under carefully, along the inside of the pan with a knife.

Bake in oven until the top of the crust is golden-brown in color, about 25-35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack about 30 minutes.

Run a sharp knife along the inside edge of the pan. Place a plate or other serving dish on top of the pan and quickly flip over the whole shebang so the Tarte Tatin drops down on to the plate. The pan will be hot. Hopefully the Tarte just falls out.  If there are any pieces of apple left in the pan just put them back where they are supposed to be.

For a fall party in Copenhagen (or any party)

You can make this for a large crowd too.  Heat the sugar and butter ON the stove in a frying pan but then pour it into a pie tin or whatever is a good size pan for you. Pour the sugar-butter into the pie tin and place apples on on top the same way as above. Place the pie as far down in the oven as you can place it but not on the bottom since it might burn.  Let the sugar mix and apples boil for 20 minutes or more. Place the crust on top and bake until the crust is golden brown in the middle of the oven. Eat the Tarte warm with ice cream or this vegan vanilla sauce.

You can double or triple the recipe or take it as many times as you want to. It might be harder to turn over in one piece but it is ok if it breaks – just patch it together – no one will notice.

Eat the Tarte warm with ice cream or this vegan vanilla sauce.

2 dl soy milk

2 dl oat or soy ice cream

1 tbs starch

A little vanilla

(1 egg yolk)

Heat most of the milk, add vanilla, take extra milk and whip in starch slowly. Add to warm vanilla milk. Whip egg yolk into the sauce if you want to.

Have a happy pie eating fall!

Related articles

• Pancake Fridays: Tarte Tatin Pancakes (panprinandproprin.wordpress.com)
• Peach Tarte Tatin & Lemon Ice Cream (flourtrader.blogspot.com)
• Tomato Tarte Tatin (101cookbooks.com)