A peach tarte tatin is an upside-down tart with caramelized peaches and a buttery pastry crust.
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What Is Peach Tarte Tatin?
Tarte tatin is a French upside-down tart traditionally made with apples. This summer-friendly version is made with peaches caramelized in sugar and butter on the stovetop, then cooked in the oven beneath a layer of buttery pastry. Before serving, the baker flips the tart out of the pan to reveal a crown of glistening caramelized peaches, and a crispy, crackly crust.
What Is the History of the Tarte Tatin?
The tarte tatin gets its name from the Hôtel Tatin, a hotel in the Sologne region of France which was operated by two sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin, in the 1880s. While the dessert is similar to the tarte solognote, an inverted fruit tart common to the region, there are two origin stories pertaining to the creation of the tarte tatin: According to one legend, hotelier Stéphanie Tatin was in the process of making a traditional apple pie, but accidentally left the apples to caramelize too long in the pan; seeking a quick fix, she tossed the dough on top of the pie filling and finished it all in the oven. The guests, of course, were taken with the mistake. This legend is countered by a slightly different origin story, which suggests that Stéphanie accidentally baked an apple tart upside down and chose to serve it anyway.
3 Tips for Making Peach Tarte Tatin
Follow these tips to simplify the process of making peach tarte tatin:
- 1. Use store-bought puff pastry. Using store-bought frozen puff pastry makes this dessert super simple. Before you plan to cook, defrost the dough in the refrigerator, then roll it out onto a floured surface. Make the dough round—about one inch larger than the ovenproof skillet that you'll use to bake the peach tart.
- 2. Experiment with stone fruit. In addition to peaches, you can make tarte tatin with other stone fruits, like nectarines, plums, or apricots when in season.
- 3. Style your tarte tatin. There are two styles of tarte tatin: You can halve the fruit, or slice and arrange it in concentric circles. If you want to use peach slices instead of halves, arrange the peach halves in concentric circles using a rubber spatula after they've cooked in the butter mixture.
Summer Peach Tarte Tatin Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
40 mincook time
25 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Heat a 9–inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
- 3
Melt the butter, then add the sugar and salt.
- 4
Stir constantly to dissolve, until the mixture has thickened slightly to a loose syrup.
- 5
Turn down the heat if the butter begins to scorch or brown too quickly.
- 6
Add the peaches, cut-side up.
- 7
Cook the mixture until the syrup takes on an amber color, and the peaches begin to soften slightly, about 10 more minutes.
- 8
Remove from heat.
- 9
Place the puff pastry dough over the top of the pan, using a spatula to gently tuck the edge of the pastry in.
- 10
Poke the dough’s surface a handful of times with a fork, or cut small slits with a knife, to allow air to escape.
- 11
Place the skillet on a baking sheet to catch any juices that bubble over, and bake until pastry is golden brown and crispy, rotating halfway through, about 25 minutes.
- 12
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before tackling the flip: First, run an offset spatula or a butter knife around the edges of the pastry dough to loosen.
- 13
Place a large plate—one that completely covers the width of the pan—across the top.
- 14
Throw on a pair of oven mitts and then, with one hand firmly holding the plate in place and the other with a good grip on the skillet’s handle, invert in one quick motion and place on a clean work surface.
- 15
Very carefully, lift the skillet away.
- 16
You may find a few peaches have stuck to the pan; simply pop them back into place, and use the spatula to tidy everything up as needed.
- 17
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
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