• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Shop

Apple Right Side Up

February 18, 2008 by Joy the Baker 8 Comments

I took this apple tarte tatin, that wasn’t so much a tarte tatin at all, to a lovely dinner party of Sunday night.  What was so fun about this tart was that I cooked the apples in a cast iron skillet with butter and sugar before I left the house.  I let them cook in the pan while I rolled out a 10-inch circle of pie crust.  I packaged up the cast iron skillet and the pie dough and we went to the dinner party.  After dinner, I heated up the apples on our hosts stove, and tucked the refrigerated crust over the slightly warm apples, then popped the whole thing in the oven for 30 minutes.  When the crust was browned and the juices underneath bubbling, I took the skillet from the oven, let it sit for a few minutes, then turned all of the warm apples and buttery crust upsidedown and onto a serving dish.  Everyone was super impressed, and I made their home smell like apple pie, which is just an added bonus.  This is the kind of dish that will get you invited for dinner again and again.

To talk about this tart we really should talk about pie crust.  I used to be intimidated by pie crust: was I cutting the butter right?  Am I adding enough buttermilk?  How do I know if it will be flaky?  Pie crust has very simple ingredients: butter, flour, sugar, salt and liquid.  The secret is the technique of bring all those things together.  So no more intimidation for me.  I learned a technique that involves rolling the cold, cubed butter out with a rolling pin, creating flattened butter sheets, that ensures a flaky crust every time.

Flaky Pie Crust

Print this Recipe!

makes 2, 9 to 10-inch pie doughs

2 sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter

2 1/2 (12 ounces) cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (5 to 6 ounces) buttermilk

1.  Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and place in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.  Measure out the buttermilk and store in the refrigerator to keep it cold (you could even put it in the freezer for a few minutes too).

2.  Sift together the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Take the cold butter from the freezer and toss it with the flour mixture.

3.  Dump the cold butter cubes and flour mixture onto a large work area for rolling.  With a rolling pin, roll the mixture, flattening the butter cubes with the flour into long, thin, floured butter sheets.  Work quickly to ensure that the butter stays cold.  Below is what the rolled butter and flour look like after I’ve gathered them together on the work surface a bit.

4.  Place the flour and flattened butter back in the large bowl and chill for 10 minutes.    When the butter is cold, remove the bowl from the refrigerator, make a small well in the center of the flour and butter mixture.  Add the cold buttermilk to the bowl all at once.  Begin to bring the dough together with one hand ( keep the other hand free to answer the phone).  Moisten all of the flour with the milk, using your hand to break up large clumps of milk and flour.  The dough will be rather shaggy, but you can add another tablespoon of buttermilk, if you see that all your flour isn’t moistened.  Form the dough into two disks.  The disks will be rough, and hard to shape together, but once they rest in the fridge for an hour, they’ll be easier to roll out.

5.  Chill the dough for at least an hour in the refrigerator.  At this point, the dough will keep in the fridge for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three weeks.  For freezing, roll the dough out into sheets and wrap them in plastic film.

Apples for Tart

7 Fuji apples, medium size, peeled and cored and cut into fourths

3- 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon cinnamon.

1. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a 9 or 10-inch cast iron, or oven safe skillet.  When the foam subsides, add the apple chunks, arranging them so they fit snugly together and fan out around the pan.

2.  Cook the apples, over medium low heat, without stirring the apples to disturb the pattern.  Sprinkle the brown sugar on top, and add the remaining tablespoon of butter.  Lastly, sprinkle the cinnamon on top.  ( I periodically lifted an apple slice to see how it was browning, and notices that the center of the pan was browning faster than the edges of the pan.  To correct for this, I simply positioned the edges of the pan more directly over the flame, moving the pan over the flame until all the apples were slightly browned.)

3.  Cook the apples until they are slightly browned on the bottom, about 15 minutes.  A knife inserted into the apples will reveal a firm apple, that’s great! They’ll cook completely in the oven.  Remove the pan from the flame and let the apples and the pan cool.

4.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Roll out one disk of pie dough into a 9 or 10- inch circle.  Put the dough in the freezer for about 10 minutes before the next step.   Carefully pick up the pie dough and place it over the apples in the cast iron skillet.  Tuck the dough down along the inside of the pan, next to the apples.  Brush the top of the dough with ice water.

5. Place the cast iron skillet on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.  Place the baking sheet and the skillet in the oven to bake, turning the oven down to 400 degrees F just after you put the tart in.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned, and the juices bubbling.

6 . Remove the pan and skillet from the oven.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Run a blunt butter knife along the edges of the pan, separating the crust from the pan.  Place a large serving platter over the cast iron skillet, and, using pot holders, invert the tart out onto the platter.  If an apple or two stick to the pan, just fish them out and place them nicely on the tart.  Serve immediately with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Fruit, Pie, Recipes

Previous Post: « Six Words
Next Post: Cake Mix Couture? »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. joythebaker

    February 19, 2008 at 7:07 am

    Food Rockz Man- Thank you. I blush.

    Linda- The technique isn’t too messy. The flour actually stays on the work surface pretty well. It doesn’t go flying into the air, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’ve grown to really like the technique. I get great results every time. Please try it and let me know what you think!

    Reply
  2. linda

    February 19, 2008 at 6:26 am

    Interesting crust recipe and also interesting technique. Sounds a bit messy though…or will the flour sort of stay on your working surface when you roll over it?

    Reply
  3. Food Rockz Man

    February 18, 2008 at 8:51 pm

    You, Joy, are my new blogger crush . . . yep . . . I’m totally crushed out on you!

    Reply
  4. Lauren

    February 18, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    that looks amazing sister. you didn’t need anyone to help you roll out the crust? what a beaut!!!

    Reply
  5. Michael

    February 18, 2008 at 4:31 pm

    This was delicious! It was such a great idea to bring it. As good as it looks, it tasted even better. So light and flaky. It was the highlight of the whole evening. Thanks Joy.

    Reply
  6. Miri

    February 18, 2008 at 11:19 am

    Joy, I absolutely loved the tart! The manner you suggested to prepare the flaky dough sounds interesting, I’ll give it a try sometime. And what a great idea – taking the tart over to the dinner party and baking it there!

    Reply
  7. Nikki

    February 18, 2008 at 7:11 am

    What a tease!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Apple Tarte Tatin | bediva says:
    September 6, 2015 at 4:45 am

    […] Apple Right Side Up […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Fruit

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar
My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

When life hands you lemons, make lemon bars! This lemon bar recipe is the perfect way to add a bite of sunshine to the day. These bars boast a buttery and lightly spiced shortbread crust, and a creamy smooth lemon filling that’s the perfect combination of tangy and sweet. Indulge in a square (or two)…

Read More

Slice of fluffy, creamy cranberry pie on a small plate.
Fluffy Cranberry Cream Pie

The perfect retro pie made with Jell-O and Cool Whip.  Pinky sweet cranberry pie topped with lightly whipped cream and, at the very last minute, chocolate covered pretzels.  This sweet lady is this year’s unexpected and delightful Thanksgiving pie. Every Thanksgiving my family is just chasing the high of my grandmother’s cranberry sauce. It’s a…

Read More

stacked sliced apple cheesecake bars
Apple Cheesecake Bars

Let’s settle into the season with crisp apples, cinnamon spice, and cream cheese. These Apple Cheesecake Bars are cream filled with a cookie crisp, topped with warm baked apples. These are our best apple dessert recipes. Let’s get baking, friends! In terms of fall cravings, I generally glaze past a pumpkin spice.  This is the…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

jambalaya buttermilk biscuits in a row

Smoked Sausage Jambalaya Buttermilk Biscuits

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Orange roll on a plate with a fork.

Christmas Morning Orange Rolls

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

a stack of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies with a bite taken out of the top one with milk

Classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

wider shot of lemon bars stacked on a plate with a bite taken out of one lemon bar

My Favorite Classic Lemon Bars Recipe

completed recipe close up shot of a blondie so the toasted almonds, chocolate chips, and sea salt can be seen

My Best Classic Blondie Recipe

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
🍓🌼 Pan Dulce is the best way to bake spring! 🍓🌼 Pan Dulce is the best way to bake spring! Full recipe linked in the @joythebaker bio! Xo
Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day Second coffee: the perfect way to re-start the day. 
✨Beignet Café au Lait✨⁣
⁣1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk⁣⁣
Splash of vanilla extract⁣⁣
½ cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks⁣⁣
2 cups fresh brewed strong coffee⁣⁣
½ cup toasted cinnamon cereal, lightly crushed⁣⁣
Powdered sugar for topping⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Place sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Add half of the whipped cream and fold to combine.  Add the remaining half and fold until you have a fluffy sweet cream. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Divide brewed coffee between two mugs. Spoon dream on top.  Sprinkle cinnamon cereal between the cups.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy immediately.
Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cup Life Skill No. 458: How to Make 1️⃣2️⃣ Cupcakes with just 1️⃣ Stick of Butter⁣
⁣
Full recipe linked in my bio! xo
Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a Someone call @foodnetwork because Dad and I need a baking show stat. Here’s our very best chocolate chip cookies and all the little tips that make them perfection. ✨🍪 Find the full recipe linked in the profile!
We’re baking the classics on Joy the Baker this We’re baking the classics on Joy the Baker this month and up next, my very favorite Lemon Bar recipe with fresh lemon juice and the tiniest hint of coriander. ⁣🍋🌼✨
⁣
Find the full recipe linked in the profile and bust out the white chocolate and macadamia nuts for next week’s bake! ⁣
⁣
#lemonbars #easybaking #bakedfromscratch #joythebaker
Day in the Life: out in the woods writing a little Day in the Life: out in the woods writing a little cookbook about camp food. 💖🏕️🙋🏻‍♀️
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up