Caramelized Mini Apple Tarte Tatin

Treat yourself and your guests to this caramelized mini apple Tarte Tatin - a signature French upside-down pastry. Serve it at the kids' and adults' entertaining party or as a dessert to finish a romantic dinner. It is simple and sophisticated at the same time!

So, Tarte Tatin... I am up for another upside-down dessert after making Quince Tarte Tatin and Orange Upside-down Cake some time ago. This kind of French pastry is one of my favorite desserts due to easy making, delicious taste, and elegant look.

The individually served caramelized apple Tarte Tatin is a twist on a classic - French Apple Tarte Tatin. How is it about if I tell you that these miniatures could be made in advance and served within five minutes? It is a perfect dessert for unexpected guests, for sure!

Just imagine taking caramelized apples from the freezer, arranging them on top of palet Breton or Shortbread cookies, and serving. If you have time to whip some cream, it will bring a fancy touch. That's it!

History of Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin was named after the Hotel Tatin in France, where it was served as a signature dish. As of the tart’s origin, the dessert was created as a mistake by one of the sisters with the last name Tatin, Stéphanie.

While she was making a regular apple pie, she overcooked the caramel. Trying to “save” the pie, she put the pastry base on top of the apples. While flipping the pie, the caramelized apples appeared on top. How much she was surprised that the guests of the hotel were delighted with her new “creation.”

What are the best apples to make Tarte Tatin?

Apples are the star of Tarte Tatin dessert, and the type of apple matters! For best results, you will need apples that hold their shape while cooking, and do not melt into the caramel. Choose Golden Delicious, Braeburn, or Honeycrisp apples to make this irresistible dessert. Here are some more variations of The Best Apples For Baking.

Why mini apple Tarte Tatin recipe works

1. This caramelized apple Tarte Tatin is served individually; so, it makes your guests feel special while getting a dessert. Tell them its name and the history behind Tate Tatin, and everyone will be thrilled about trying an authentic (even twisted) French dessert at your home.
2. Both steps - making caramelized apples and baking cookies/biscuits - could be made in advance. To serve, it takes five minutes!
3. Replacing homemade palet Breton with store-bought cookies saves time in making the dessert: it shortcuts the recipe by one step.
4. Use your favorite 6-cup silicone muffin mold to freeze the caramelized apples if you do not have special pastry rings. Make sure that the diameter of baked cookies and the diameter of muffin cups are the same, which is essential with assembling the dessert.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

• Apples: still, Golden apples are one of the best choices for Tarte Tatin.
• Butter: the recipe calls for semi-salted butter. If you do not have such one, use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt to apple cubes while cooking with butter.
• Gelatin: use sheet gelatin (gold) with a strength of 200 bloom. To replace sheet gelatin with powdered gelatin, take into consideration that 3 ½ gelatin sheets equal one envelope of powdered gelatin. Use ¼ cup (60ml) of cold water per envelope.
• Whipping cream: to make caramelized apples, there is no need for the cream to be cold; it oppositely needs to be warm. To make the whipped cream, whipping cream has to be cold.
• Sugar: use granulated white sugar.
• Palet Breton: make palet Breton yourself using a muffin pan, use store-bought Shortbread cookies or make them yourself following this recipe, or use puff pastry to make base-circles (see FAQ below).

How to make Tarte Tatin

To make caramelized apples, peel apples with a vegetable peeler and cut into small cubes. Place apple cubes in a frying pan with butter and cook over medium heat until slightly soft (photo 1).

In a separate saucepan, place ⅓ of sugar and heat swirling and shaking the pan over the stove. Once the sugar starts caramelizing, add the rest of the sugar (photo 2) and continue stirring the pot.

When the sugar becomes golden brown, add warm heavy cream out of the heat. Be careful: at this moment, the hot mixture can make a splash! Bring the caramel to heat for a few seconds and remove from heat. Add the soaked gelatin and mix. Pour the caramel over the apple preparation, and mix again (photo 3).

Transfer caramelized apples in a shallow dish, cover with a plastic film in contact and let cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Wrap the plastic film around small tart/pasty rings, making a bottom. Full fill the rings (photo 4) or a 6-cup silicone muffin mold with the apple/caramel preparation and freeze for at least 3 hours.

For the decoration, using an electric mixer, whisk cold whipping cream and mascarpone until firm.

To assemble the dessert, take rings or the muffin mold with apples from the freezer. Warm the rings' edges up with hands to facilitate the removal of caramelized apples or push muffin cups from the bottom. Place apples on top of palet Breton (photos 5-6) or other cookies of the same diameter. Pipe the cream on top of each dessert.

Expert tips

1. If you use a 6-cup silicone muffin mold to freeze apples, increase the amounts of ingredients to make caramelized apples by 1.5.
2. Follow this recipe to make palet Breton or use store-bought round Shortbread cookies.
3. To flavor apples, add seeds of half of the vanilla bean or a pinch of ground cinnamon while cooking apple cubes with butter.
4. Freeze caramelized apples in special pastry rings or silicone muffin pan for up to one week.
5. Take apples from the freezer and decorate the dessert 30 minutes before serving.
6. Top each Tarte Tatin with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Frequently Asked Question

Can you use puff pastry to make Tarte Tatin?

Yes, using puff pastry to make the base for this mini apple Tarte Tatin is an alternative option to palet Breton and Shortbread cookies. Roll puff pastry and cut circles that are a bit bigger in diameter than the diameter of the frozen caramelized apples.

Place circles on a baking sheet covered with the parchment. Cover puff pastry with another sheet of the parchment paper and baking sheet to ensure the pastry remains flat after baking. Bake at 355 F/180 C for about 20 minutes. Let cool and finish the dessert as directed.

More delicious apple dessert recipes you will love

• Apple And Olive Oil Cake With Maple Icing
• Beggar’s Purses With Caramelized Apples
• Classic Apple Tarte Tatin

Print

Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from the video masterclass of Christophe Michalak. It was originally published on February 23, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.