Peach Tarte Tatin
This peach tarte tatin recipe swaps the traditional apples for ripe summer peaches, caramelized in butter and sugar until the juices turn deep amber before a sheet of puff pastry seals everything in. Six ingredients and one skillet are all it takes to get a glossy, caramel-soaked dessert that flips out cleanly in one piece.
Equipment
- 25cm / 10-inch oven-safe skillet - Cast iron or other heavy metal that conducts heat evenly
- Rolling Pin - For lightly rolling the puff pastry to size
- Pastry brush - Optional, for brushing off excess flour
- Sharp paring knife - For pitting and slicing the peaches
- Wire cooling rack - For the short rest before flipping
- Large serving plate - Wider than the skillet, for the inversion
- Oven mitts - For handling the hot skillet handle safely
- Wooden spoon - For swirling the caramel without stirring it
Ingredients
- 6 medium ripe peaches - about 1.1kg / 2.5 lbs, pitted and cut into thick wedges
- 113 g unsalted butter - 1/2 cup, cut into pieces
- 150 g granulated sugar - 3/4 cup
- 1.5 g fine sea salt - 1/4 tsp
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice - 1 tbsp
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry - about 400g / 14 oz, thawed but still cold
Instructions
- Pit and slice the peaches into 6-8 thick wedges, about 1.5cm (1/2 inch) wide, setting them aside in a single layer. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the puff pastry just enough to smooth out fold lines. Using the skillet as a guide, cut the pastry into a circle about 2.5cm (1 inch) wider than the skillet's rim and refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Melt the butter in the 25cm (10-inch) oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar and salt, stirring once or twice to combine, then stop stirring. Let cook undisturbed, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns a deep amber color, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully stir in the lemon juice, standing back as it bubbles. Arrange the peach wedges in the caramel, rounded side down, packing them tightly in a circular pattern. Return to medium heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the peaches soften slightly at the edges but still hold their shape.
- Lay the chilled pastry circle directly over the peaches. Tuck the edges down into the gap between the fruit and the skillet using a spoon or offset spatula. Cut 3 to 4 small slits in the top of the pastry to let steam escape.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden brown and puffed. Check at the 20-minute mark; if the pastry is browning too quickly, loosely tent it with foil for the remaining time. Remove once the crust looks crisp and the caramel is bubbling visibly at the edges.
- Let the tarte tatin rest in the skillet on a wire cooling rack for 8 to 10 minutes. Place a large serving plate upside down over the skillet. Using oven mitts, hold the plate and skillet firmly together and flip both in one confident motion. Lift the skillet away slowly, scraping any caramel left in the pan back over the top of the tart.
Notes
- Choose peaches that give slightly when pressed but aren't soft enough to bruise easily; overripe peaches turn to mush in the hot caramel.
- Keep the pastry cold until the moment it goes into the skillet, since a warm, softened sheet is harder to handle and puffs less evenly.
- Don't stir the caramel once the sugar dissolves; stirring encourages crystallization, which turns the caramel grainy instead of smooth.
- If the caramel seizes or looks lumpy after the lemon juice is added, return it to low heat for a minute while swirling gently until it smooths back out.
- Flip the tart onto the serving plate while it's still warm; once it cools completely in the pan, the caramel can stick.
- Use a skillet with sloped or straight sides rather than a springform pan, since a springform can leak caramel during baking.
- Pack the peach wedges tightly before adding the pastry; gaps between the fruit will show up as dips once the tart is flipped and sliced.
- If the top of the pastry browns faster than the caramel finishes thickening, lower the oven temperature by about 10°C (15°F) for the final stretch of baking rather than pulling the tart early.
- Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Refrigeration will soften the crust further.
- Reheat individual slices in a 175°C (350°F) oven for 5 to 8 minutes to crisp the pastry back up; microwave not recommended as it turns the pastry chewy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 3gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 95mgPotassium: 120mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 4mg
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