Tarte Tatin is one of my favourite apple tarts. It is actually an upside down apple tart, where the apples are baked in caramelised butter, covered with a simple pastry crust. It took its name after the Tatin sisters in France, who invented and served it in their hotel as their signature dish with apples or with other fruits. The ingredients are quite simple, that everyone has at home, except maybe from the cider (if you do not have use concentrated apple juice of just apple juice or skip it). For this tart are used firm apples, in order not to break or smash during baking. Good choice are the Pink Lady (red-green) or Braeburn (red) apples. On the other hand Granny Smiths (green) is not advised to be used, as they tend to soften too quickly.

Star by making the crust. In your stand electric mixer with the hook attachment add the flour, the sugar, the salt the and the cold butter cut in pieces. Mix in medium speed until combined. At this point the mixture will be very uneven, with big and small chunks of butter.

Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoon of ice water and mix in medium speed until making a dough. Add more water if needed, i.e. if the dough breaks in many small pieces.

Work the batter with your hands and form it to a ball and then press it to form a disc. Wrap the disc of the ball with a plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator until you make the filling. At this step preheat the oven at 170°C (375°F) fan forced and place a wire rack in the middle of the oven.

For the feeling peel off the apples and cut them in quarters and remove their core. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan add the butter and melt in over medium heat. Once the butter is completely melted, add the sugar and the salt and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and remove from heat once the sugar is dissolved and caramelized and the caramel is uniform with a golden amber colour. Do not overcook, else the sugar will start to caramelize again and the caramel will be burned and become bitter.

Remove from the heat and pour over a 23cm (9inch) round pan. If you use a pan with removable bottom, make sure that it is sealed very well, else the caramel will start to run outside the pan while baking. Spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Arrange the apple quarters in concentric circles in the pan, with the rounded side down and the cut side up. Pack them tight, as they are baked they get shrinked a little bit.

Transfer the cider or the concentrated apple juice into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and drizzle it over the apples using a spoon.

Take the crust batter of the refrigerator and unwrap it. Place it on a smooth surface in-between two parchment papers. Roll it out to a circle a little bit larger than 23cm (9inch). Once the batter is rolled out, I press gently the pan over the batter and its shape is formed on it. Then I cut the rolled out batter into a circle a little bit larger than the pan (about 1ch on each side). This way I get a perfect circle batter.

Remove the top parchment paper and transfer the batter over the pan with the apples. Turn the batter upside down and remove the second parchment paper and then place the batter above the apples. Tuck the sides of the crust inside the pan. Prick the crust all over with a fork.

Bake to preheated oven for 40' - 45' or until golden brown and crisp. If you use a pan with removable bottom, place it on a flat bigger pan for baking, This way any caramel that runs out of the pan will be kept in the larger one.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15' on a wire rack. Once cooled a little bit, transfer a knife along the edges of the tart if need, and flip the tart on a serving plate.

Enjoy warm or at room temperature, plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream! Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days.