Individual Peach Tarte Tatin Recipes

TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, place the flours, sugar and butter. Pulse 5 or 6 times in 1/2-second bursts to break up the butter. Add the shortening, turn on the machine and immediately add the ice water, pulsing 2 or 3 times. The dough should look like a mass of smallish lumps and should just hold together in a mass when a handful is pressed together. If the mixture is too dry, pulse in more water by droplets.
• Turn the dough out onto the work surface and with the heel of your hand, rapidly and roughly push egg-size blobs into a 6-inch smear. Gather the dough into a relatively smooth cake, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).
• Slice the halved apples into 4 lengthwise wedges each, and toss in a large bowl with the lemon juice and zest and 1/2 cup sugar. Drain the apples after macerating 20 minutes.
• In a 9-inch skillet melt the butter over high heat. Stir in the remaining sugar and cook until the syrup bubbles and caramelizes, and turns a brown color. Remove the pan from the heat and arrange a layer of apple slices in a neat pattern on the caramel in the skillet, then arrange the remaining apples neatly on top.
• Return the pan to moderately high heat and cook for about 25 minutes, covering the pan after 10 minutes. Every few minutes press down on the apples and baste them with the exuded juices. When the juices are thick and syrupy, remove the pan from the heat.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a circle, 3/16-inch thick and 1-inch larger than the top of the pan. Drape the dough over the apples, pressing the edge of the dough between the apples and the inside of the pan. Cut 4 small steam holes on the top of the dough. Bake until the pastry has browned and crisped, about 20 minutes.
• Unmold the tart onto a serving dish (so the pastry is on the bottom), and serve warm or cold with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, as desired.

PEACH TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Melt the butter in a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar and salt until it looks like wet sand. Reduce the heat to medium and add the peaches. Cook, shaking the skillet, until the syrup is dark brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim the corners from the puff pastry to make a round. Remove the skillet from the heat and top the peaches with the puff pastry, tucking in the edges; cut three 2-inch slits into the top.
• Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the skillet, then invert onto a rimmed serving plate.

INDIVIDUAL TARTES TATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Peel apple, halve lengthwise, and core. Using a 1-cup ramekin (3 1/4 inches across and 2 1/4 inches deep) as a guide, cut out 2 rounds from pastry sheet.
• In a 7-inch heavy skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and stir in brown sugar and water. Add apple halves and cook, turning frequently, 3 minutes. In two 1-cup ramekins set on a baking sheet arrange apple halves, cored sides up, and top evenly with sauce.
• Top apples with pastry rounds, letting edges of pastry hang over sides of apples. Bake tarts in middle of oven for 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown, and cool on a rack 5 minutes. Working with 1 ramekin at a time, invert a plate over each ramekin and invert ramekin onto plate. Carefully lift off ramekins.
• Serve tarts with ice cream.

PEACH TARTE TATINS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Blanch peaches in boiling water 15 to 20 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon. Use a paring knife to peel and cut peaches in half. Remove pits, and reserve four peach halves. Quarter remaining peach halves.
• Butter four 5-inch tart pans with removable bottoms; dust with sugar. Arrange eight peach segments around edge of each pan, and place a reserved peach half cut side up in the center. Loosely wrap bottoms of pans with foil; place on baking sheet. Bake until peaches are tender and sugar and juices start to caramelize, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes.
• Cover tart pans with a layer of plastic wrap, and place another baking sheet on top to gently flatten peaches. Place filled cans or other weights on top of the baking sheet, and transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
• Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry to 1/8 inch thick, and cut out four 5 1/2-inch circles. Place rounds on buttered rimmed baking sheet, and transfer to freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from freezer, and place another baking sheet, buttered on the bottom, on top of the pastry rounds. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
• Make caramel sauce: Combine remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons butter with the water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, gently swirling pan occasionally to evenly color, until caramel is a medium amber color, 6 to 8 minutes. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Remove from heat, and slowly add heavy cream, stirring to combine. Be careful when adding cream to the caramel, as it will bubble vigorously. Set aside.
• Remove tarts from refrigerator, and place a pastry crust on top of each. Invert onto serving plates; pour about 3 tablespoons caramel sauce over each. Garnish with pistachios or sugared almonds, if desired. Serve immediately.