I’ve found it all too easy, of late, to whip up a tarte tatin when that after-dinner sugar craving hits. Crunchy pastry, hot, sticky caramel and soft, sweet fruit. How could you not? Many folk are intimidated by this simple dessert and I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps because it looks complicated? Well, it really isn’t.

With the easy-yet-tasty spiced caramel I’ve created, the recipe involves nothing more than melting it in a pan, topping it with fruit and store-bought pastry and baking it. The combination of spices is warming and goes nicely, I think, with the fruit.

And the great thing is that the caramel can be made way ahead of time and used straight from the fridge.

Apple is my all-time favourite, but with stone fruits in abundance right now, a nice bit of peach came to the party. I thought I’d trick things up a tad with toasted pine nuts – something that tastes great with the fruit and spices – and fresh basil flowers that not only look great, but add a herbal touch.

A healthy dollop of double cream is an absolute must.

Print Recipe

Spiced apple & peach tarte tatin

Vamp up your apple tarte tatin with peaches and spiced caramel.

Course

Dessert

Servings

tarte

Ingredients

Spiced caramel

• 200 g salted butter
• 200 g muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp brandy
• 1 tsp each of Cinnamon, ginger & allspice
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cardamom
• 3 tbsp cream

The tarte

• ¼ cup spiced caramel
• ½ apple peeled & sliced into 5 mm wedges
• ½ peach sliced into 5 mm wedges
• 1 piece puff pastry cut into a 20 cm round
• 1 tbsp pine nuts toasted

Course Dessert Servings tarte Ingredients Spiced caramel 200 g salted butter 200 g muscovado sugar 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tbsp brandy 1 tsp each of Cinnamon, ginger & allspice ¼ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp cardamom 3 tbsp cream The tarte ¼ cup spiced caramel ½ apple peeled & sliced into 5 mm wedges ½ peach sliced into 5 mm wedges 1 piece puff pastry cut into a 20 cm round 1 tbsp pine nuts toasted

Instructions

Caramel

1. Place all ingredients, except cream, into a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. When it boils, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir through the cream, turn off heat and set aside to cool. Keep refrigerated.

The tarte

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Heat an 18 cm frying pan or skillet over medium flame. Place the caramel into the pan and allow to melt. Swirl the caramel to cover the base of the pan, arrange the fruit in a single layer over the caramel, and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Turn off heat.
3. Carefully lay the pastry over the fruit and tuck the edges down between the pan and the fruit. Poke a few holes into the top of the pastry then place the pan into the oven.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
5. Remove the pan from the oven, swirl to make sure the fruit hasn't stuck to the bottom, then place a plate over the pastry and invert the tarte onto it.
6. Serve immediately with double cream or ice cream and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Recipe Notes

The caramel can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks. The quantity above will provide more caramel than needed for the tarte recipe below, so you can increase the fruit and pastry quantity to make more or use the caramel on other desserts. Dare I say it's even nice simply spread on toast?

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