Tarte Tatin with Lavender Creme Fraiche

By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Images
Tarte Tatin with Lavender Creme Fraiche
Serves
Makes 1 (10-inch) tart
Ingredients
Pie crust:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons cold water


Filling:
  • 4 Granny Smith apples
  • Finely minced zest of 1 orange
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces


Lavender crème fraîche
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons dried lavender blossoms
  • 8 oz. crème fraîche


Procedure
To make the pie crust: Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process to combine. Add butter and pulse until coarse meal consistency, working quickly to keep the butter cold. Whisk egg yolks and water in a small bowl to thoroughly combine. Add all at once to food processor and pulse several times to bring dough together.

Remove dough from processor; place on large piece of plastic wrap and shape into a disk (dough may be kneaded to make it stick together). Wrap with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes, or place in freezer 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the pie filling:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel apples, cut in half, and remove core. Slice each half into thin slices.

Place apple slices in a mixing bowl and toss gently with orange zest, taking care not to break up the apples.

Combine sugar and water in a heavy 10-inch sauté pan with an ovenproof handle. Place sauté pan over medium-high heat and. Shake pan gently from time to time, but do not stir.

Cook until sugar caramelizes and is a dark, golden brown. Remove from heat and add butter pieces. Whisk to incorporate butter.

To make the tart: Overlap apple slices in center of pan to form a flower pattern. Continue to layer apple slices into pan in concentric circles, starting in center of pan, and working towards the outer edge. Continue until all apples are used.

Flour dough lightly and place between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Roll dough out to approximately an 11-inch circle. Trim edges, place dough over apples in pan, covering apples completely. Press down gently and neaten edges of crust.

Baking and serving: Place sauté pan in preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes, then invert onto serving platter and serve warm with Lavender Crème Fraîche.

Lavender Crème Fraîche:

Bring sugar, water, honey, and lavender to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lavender flavor is pronounced, about 3 minutes.

Strain syrup into small bowl and chill over ice bath.

Gently fold into crème fraîche, until combined. Do not over mix.

Serve chilled over the Tarte Tatin.

Tarte Tatin with Lavender Creme Fraiche

By Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen
Serves
Makes 1 (10-inch) tart
Ingredients
Pie crust:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons cold water


Filling:
  • 4 Granny Smith apples
  • Finely minced zest of 1 orange
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces


Lavender crème fraîche
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons dried lavender blossoms
  • 8 oz. crème fraîche


Procedure
To make the pie crust: Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process to combine. Add butter and pulse until coarse meal consistency, working quickly to keep the butter cold. Whisk egg yolks and water in a small bowl to thoroughly combine. Add all at once to food processor and pulse several times to bring dough together.

Remove dough from processor; place on large piece of plastic wrap and shape into a disk (dough may be kneaded to make it stick together). Wrap with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes, or place in freezer 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the pie filling:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel apples, cut in half, and remove core. Slice each half into thin slices.

Place apple slices in a mixing bowl and toss gently with orange zest, taking care not to break up the apples.

Combine sugar and water in a heavy 10-inch sauté pan with an ovenproof handle. Place sauté pan over medium-high heat and. Shake pan gently from time to time, but do not stir.

Cook until sugar caramelizes and is a dark, golden brown. Remove from heat and add butter pieces. Whisk to incorporate butter.

To make the tart: Overlap apple slices in center of pan to form a flower pattern. Continue to layer apple slices into pan in concentric circles, starting in center of pan, and working towards the outer edge. Continue until all apples are used.

Flour dough lightly and place between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Roll dough out to approximately an 11-inch circle. Trim edges, place dough over apples in pan, covering apples completely. Press down gently and neaten edges of crust.

Baking and serving: Place sauté pan in preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes, then invert onto serving platter and serve warm with Lavender Crème Fraîche.

Lavender Crème Fraîche:

Bring sugar, water, honey, and lavender to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lavender flavor is pronounced, about 3 minutes.

Strain syrup into small bowl and chill over ice bath.

Gently fold into crème fraîche, until combined. Do not over mix.

Serve chilled over the Tarte Tatin.