Apple Tarte Tatin on Homemade Shortcrust with Sour Cream

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Wrapping Dough

1. 1
   Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Transfer to a food processor, add the cold butter in cubes and process until coarse crumbs form.

   Food processor
3. 3
   Add the egg and cold water and quickly bring together with your hands, without kneading, just until the dough comes together.

   💡Knead as little as possible: long kneading develops gluten, and the dough comes out tough and shrinks in the oven.
4. 4
   Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 60 minutes.

   ⚙ Wrapping and Chilling the DoughPlastic wrapRefrigerator

   💡Chilling firms the butter and relaxes the gluten: the dough rolls out easily, doesn't stick to the counter and doesn't shrink in the oven.

To assemble

1. 5
   Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 6
   Core the apple halves with a melon baller.

   KnifeCutting board
3. 7
   Put the sugar with the water in a 24 cm cast-iron pan and heat over medium heat, until it melts and turns into a dark amber caramel.

   StoveCast-iron pan
4. 8
   Remove from the heat, add the butter and cinnamon and stir until the caramel is smooth.
5. 9
   Arrange the apple halves on the caramel standing on their sides, packed very tightly together, in circles.
6. 10
   Cook over medium-low heat 15 minutes, until the apples start to soften.

   Stove
7. 11
   Roll out the dough into a 4 mm thick round.

   ⚙ Rolling Out DoughRolling pin

   💡Roll from the center outward and give the dough a quarter turn between rolls: this keeps it even in thickness and stops it sticking to the counter. If it springs back, cover for 10–15 minutes and try again.
8. 12
   Lay the pastry over the apples and tuck its edges in along the side of the pan.
9. 13
   Bake 35–40 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and browned.

   ⚙ BakingOvenCast-iron pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
10. 14
    Let cool 15 minutes, set a serving plate over the pan and invert in one quick motion.

    Plate

    💡Invert while the caramel is still hot and runny: cooled caramel glues the apples to the pan.
11. 15
    Whip the cold cream on medium speed, until it starts to thicken.

    ⚙ WhippingBowlHand mixerorStand mixer

    💡Cold cream whips quickly and holds firm: warm cream won't hold air. Stop when the peaks are firm, before it turns grainy.

    💡Whip cream very cold, in a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, and stop when it holds firm: overwhipping turns it grainy and buttery.
12. 16
    Add the sour cream and powdered sugar and keep whipping on high speed to firm peaks.

    Hand mixerorStand mixer
13. 17
    Serve each slice with a generous mound of cream on top.