Tarte Tatin Recipe

Ingredients:

8 Cox’s Orange Pippin apples
1 fresh vanilla pod
200g/7oz caster sugar
150g/5oz unsalted butter
300g/10½oz puff pastry
1 medium egg, yolk only, plus 5ml double cream - to make egg wash
150ml/5fl oz crème fraîche

For the butterscotch sauce:

150g/5oz unsalted butter
150g/5oz caster sugar
150g/5oz golden syrup
70g/3oz whipping cream

Method:

To make the Tarte Tatin:

1. Cut the unsalted butter into thin slices and mould the butter slices (using well washed hands) into a non-stick frying pan with high sides and an oven proof handle.
2. Split the vanilla pod and mix the vanilla seeds by hand with the sugar. Tip the vanilla sugar onto the butter and shake the pan until the sugar is evenly dispersed.
3. Peel and core the apples and cut in half through the core. Pick out any pips. Arrange the apples cut side up. Pack the apples in as tightly as possible. 
4. To avoid making a mess of your oven top place a baking sheet on top of the stove first and then the frying pan. Cook until the apples have started to caramelise making sure that the flame is not too high otherwise you may burn the sugar and butter. Always take great care when dealing with hot liquids and under no circumstances leave it alone. This will take up to 40 mins.  When done remove from heat.
5. Roll out the puff pastry evenly to about 2mm thick on a floured surface and prick with a fork. 
6. Place the pastry on top of the apples and cut the excess pastry away. Egg wash and then bake in the oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6 until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile make the butterscotch sauce:

1. Place the sugar, butter and golden syrup in a stainless steel pan and boil until the sauce is a dark caramel colour. 
2. Add the whipping cream to the hot caramel and stir until mixed thoroughly.

To Finish

1. Place a plate on top of the tart and tip so frying pan to drain any excess liquid and then remove plate. 
2. Now the tricky bit!  Place the serving plate making sure it is big enough to easily cover the Tatin and then with one hand firmly holding the frying pan and the other on top of the plate in a swift movement turn them over so that the pie is apple side up.  Well done you can now mop your brow! 
3. Serve immediately. Pour the caramel sauce over each slice offering the crème fraîche separately.