The signature dish of  Hôtel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, the tarte Tatin was the creation of the two sisters Tatin, the owners of the hotel. Stories differ, but as far as the tale goes, the tart dates to the 1880’s and is the result of a traditional apple tart gone wrong. Guests loved the new, upside-down version. It was, however, only after the death of the sisters that a famous French author, Curnonsky, recognised them in naming the delicious recipe tarte Tatin. Read more.

Wonderful as a dessert when served with ice cream or cream, we prefer to serve our tarte tatin with a glass of our Culinaria Chenin Blanc. With ripe fruit flavours, a zippy tartness and loads of complexity, this wine is the elegant choice with this traditional dessert.

Apple Tarte Tatin Recipe

Ingredients

1 sheet of puff pastry (defrosted) – roughly 500 g

Flour for dusting

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon fine salt

± 10 apples (peeled, cored and quartered)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200 °C.

Roll out the puff pastry on a surface lightly covered with flour and cut in a circle. Place in freezer for ten minutes.

Heat the butter in a heavy-base saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from the heat, sprinkle the sugar and salt in the saucepan and arrange a single layer of apples, sliced sides down, in the saucepan.

Return pan to stove, bring to the boil and allow to boil rapidly for 5 – 7 minutes. Prevent the caramel form burning. Remove from heat and place dough on top of apples. Tuck it in around the apples.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 – 35 minutes until golden brown.

Allow to cool for approximately ten minutes, turn out onto a serving plate and serve with a glass of our Leopard's Leap Culinaria Chenin Blanc.