Bon Appetit Desserts (74 page)

¾ cup sugar

10 small Red Delicious apples (about 3½ pounds), peeled, halved, cored

1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

CRUST
: Blend flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and blend until moist clumps form. Gather into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes to soften slightly before rolling out.

FILLING
: Melt butter in heavy 9 ½-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. Add sugar; stir until melted and mixture is smooth and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Arrange half of apple halves, rounded side down, over caramel. Top with remaining apples, rounded side up, covering apples on bottom and filling pan completely. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until apples on bottom are almost tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover skillet. Increase heat to medium and simmer until apples are very tender and syrup is thick and deep amber color and thinly coats bottom of pan, shaking skillet gently to prevent sticking and to distribute syrup evenly, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 9 ½-inch round. Remove top sheet of parchment. Using bottom sheet of parchment as aid, invert dough round onto hot apples; remove parchment and pierce dough several times with knife to allow steam to escape. Bake tart until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes.

CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM
: Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, and cinnamon in large bowl until very thick and soft peaks form.

Place flat platter atop tart and pan. Using oven mitts as aid, grasp platter and pan together and quickly turn over, releasing tart onto platter. Carefully remove pan. Replace any apples that may have become dislodged. Serve tart warm or at room temperature with cinnamon whipped cream.

Apple and Pomegranate Tarte Tatin

The classic French upside-down apple tart gets an exotic touch from allspice and pomegranate syrup that’s made from reduced pomegranate juice. A portion of the syrup is added to the caramelizing apples, while the rest is served alongside with vanilla ice cream. Any leftover syrup would be delicious served with Greek yogurt.
8 servings

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream

3 cups pomegranate juice

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

7 medium Golden Delicious apples (about 3 ¼ pounds), peeled, quartered, cored

⅛ teaspoon ground allspice Large pinch of coarse kosher salt

Vanilla ice cream

CRUST
: Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, blend until coarse meal forms. Add crème fraîche; using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 11-inch round. Slide onto rimless baking sheet. Cover and chill.

FILLING
: Boil pomegranate juice in heavy large saucepan until reduced to scant 1 cup syrup, about 15 minutes.

DO AHEAD
:
Pomegranate syrup and crust can be made 1 day ahead. Cover syrup and chill. Keep crust chilled.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Spread room-temperature butter evenly over bottom and up sides of heavy 10-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle sugar evenly over butter. Cook over medium heat without stirring until mixture bubbles all over, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stand apple quarters on 1 end around edge of skillet, leaning 1 cut side against pan side and fitting snugly. Stand as many apples in center as will fit. Sprinkle apples with allspice and coarse salt.

Cook apples over medium-high heat until thick, deep-amber syrup bubbles up, shaking skillet gently to prevent sticking and to distribute syrup evenly, adding any remaining apples as space permits (apples will shrink as they cook), about 20 minutes. Pour ¼ cup pomegranate syrup over (mixture will bubble). Cook until juices thicken, 4 to 5 minutes (syrup will be deep amber). Remove from heat.

Using spatula, press apples gently toward center, then down to compact. Slide crust over apples. Tuck crust down around apples at edge of skillet. Cut 4 slits in top for steam to escape.

Bake tart until crust is brown and juices at edge are thick and dark scarlet in color, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove skillet from oven; let stand 1 minute.

Place large plate over skillet. Using oven mitts and holding plate and skillet firmly together, quickly invert tart onto plate. Carefully lift off skillet. Return any apples to tart that may be stuck in skillet. Let cool at least 15 minutes. Serve tarte Tatin warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and drizzles of remaining pomegranate syrup.

Plum Tarte Tatin

This version of the classic features plums instead of apples—think of it as a tarte Tatin for the summer. The recipe includes orange-flavored crème fraîche, but the dessert would be equally delicious served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
6 servings

1 cup crème fraîche

1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed

2¼ pounds sweet firm red plums (such as Burgundies or Satsumas), halved, pitted

2 tablespoons plus ⅔ cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter

Whisk crème fraîche and orange peel in small bowl. Cover; chill. Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to 10-inch square; trim corners to create circle. Place on plate.

DO AHEAD
:
Crème fraîche and crust can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.

Place plums, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and nutmeg in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean (reserve bean for another use). Toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Melt butter in heavy 9-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle remaining ⅔ cup sugar evenly over melted butter. Tightly arrange plums, cut side up, in concentric circles in skillet (plums will appear slightly uneven but will soften while cooking, creating even layer). Drizzle accumulated juices from bowl over top. Cook over medium heat, shaking skillet gently to prevent sticking and to distribute syrup evenly. Continue cooking until syrup turns deep red, pressing plums slightly to form compact layer, about 35 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; cool 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Slide crust atop plums in skillet. Tuck crust edges down around plums at edge of skillet. Cut several slits in crust to allow steam to escape. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool tart completely in skillet.

Rewarm in skillet set over high heat to loosen, about 3 minutes. Place large platter over skillet. Using oven mitts, hold skillet and platter together and quickly invert, allowing tart to settle onto platter. Slowly lift off skillet. Let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours at room temperature. Serve with orange crème fraîche.

Spiced Apple Turnovers

A sweet treat that’s like an apple pie, only portable. Cutting slits in each turnover before baking allows steam to escape. Be certain that the edges of the dough are sealed completely so that the filling doesn’t escape out the sides.
Makes 6

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

4 tablespoons (or more) ice water

1½ pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, cut into ½-inch pieces

⅓ cup sugar

2 tablespoons (packed) dried currants

1 teaspoon brandy

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

¼ teaspoon finely grated orange peel

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

6 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Additional sugar

PASTRY
: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons ice water; using fork, stir until small moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Transfer dough to floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Form each piece into ball; flatten each into disk. Wrap separately in plastic and chill 1 hour.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften slightly before rolling out.

Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out each dough disk on floured work surface to 8-inch round. Transfer rounds to prepared baking sheets. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

FILLING
: Mix apples, sugar, currants, brandy, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon peel, orange peel, nutmeg, and cloves in large bowl. Cover and let stand 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spoon ½ cup apple mixture onto bottom half of 1 pastry round, leaving ¾-inch plain border around edges. Dot filling with 1 teaspoon butter. Lightly brush edges with water. Fold top half of dough over filling to enclose completely. Gently press edges together to seal. Lightly brush edge with more water and fold edge inward. Using fork, gently press edge to seal. Repeat with remaining pastry rounds, filling, and butter.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan. Using small sharp knife, cut 3 slits in top of each turnover to allow steam to escape. Brush butter over turnovers and sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake turnovers until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer to plates and serve warm.