Tarte Tatin is a classic French dessert dating back to the late 19th century. It was invented by accident by the Tatin sisters who dropped an apple tart and finished baking it upside down. In this recipe, the caramel is subtly flavoured with Grand Marnier® liqueur, enhancing the flavour of the apples and adding a touch of originality to this famous dessert.

50 min

• Melt the sugar over low heat in a saucepan.
  
  When it is caramel in colour, add the honey followed by the orange zest, vanilla bean split in two and scraped, the butter and the liqueur.
  
  Add the apples which have been peeled, cored and cut in six.
  
  Lower heat and cook gently, stirring with a spatula from time to time being careful not to break up the apple pieces.
  
  Test to see if the apples are cooked with the tip of a knife. They should be tender.
  
  Arrange three or four pieces of hot apple in individual silicone or metal moulds lined with plastic film. The shape of the moulds does not matter as long as they are no more than 1 ¼ high.
  
  Press gently to even out. Cover with plastic film and place in the refrigerator.
  
  Unmould and place the apples on top of the pieces of cooked puff pastry, then heat in the oven at 120°C for 10 minutes.
  
  Serve with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.
  
  
  
  Chef's tip:
  
  Use Granny Smith (green) apples for a more tangy result.
  
  For these individual tarts, bake the pieces of pastry separately at 160°C, between two sheets of greaseproof paper with a rack placed on top for 30 minutes.
  
  For a large tart, use the same recipe but pour the caramel into a skillet or a round cake pan. Arrange the raw apples inside and bake at 160°C.
  When the apples are partially cooked (after 30 minutes), set the puff pastry (or pâte brisée) on top of them (prick with a fork), tucking it in at the edges (double thickness).
  Finish baking another 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and wait 10 minutes before unmolding.

Chef's tip

Serve with a glass of Grand Marnier® Louis-Alexandre liqueur.
Though generally baked in a tart pan, tarte Tatin is much more elegant when baked and served as individual portions.
This type of presentation is made easier by using mini silicone moulds.