Raise your hand if you ever wanted to run away and live in France. Have you got your hand raised? Me too.
What is it about those Gallic folks, and their beautiful Medieval cities, that makes me want to sell up shop here in Brisbane, and hop on the next plane to Paris?
It’s only EVERYTHING. I love it all. The elaborateness of their scarf-tying. Their music that just sounds like sexy murmuring to a beat. The cobblestone streets, the manicured hedges, the bustling anonymity of Paris, the incredible wealth of art and history.
Obviously, though, the food is the biggest draw card for me. I’m one of those tragic people who lives for the past, and fortunately, France happens to be excellent at preserving the traditions and foods of a bygone era. But more importantly, CHEESE & BREAD.
I have read the book, but I still honestly have no idea how french women do it. In France, it would be all I could do not to feed myself exclusively on a diet of camembert and baguette.
But that’s not exactly true, obviously I would have to balance all that cheese and bread out with a visit to the patisserie.
I’ve never been one for the more dainty items at the pastry shop (sorry jeans!). I’m afraid that I can take or leave a macaron – unless it’s nutella flavoured. It’s the really buttery items that I can’t get enough of. Give me a mille-feuille, with all that buttery pastry and custard, or a pain au raisin anyday.
Or better yet, a tarte tatin. Hot, cold, warm, big small, apple, or otherwise. I am absolutely ridiculously in love with la tartes tatin.
And this is my homage to them. The hand-held version if you will. The pop-tart of tarte tatins. The Tarte Tatin Turnover. Apples cooked until beautifully tender in a sea of dark amber caramel, spiced with cinnamon. The smoky apples are then blanketed in puff pastry and baked into the most delicious, portable tarte tatin, you’ll ever have.
The beauty of this is, there is no need for an oven-safe frying pan. No scary flipping of molten hot caramel tarts, and you get the perfect mix of tender, caramelised apple, and crisp buttery pastry in every bite. I cannot hurry you to the kitchen for a batch of these fast enough. Vite! Vite!
xx Sarah.
- 3 medium-sized green apples
- ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 pound puff pastry (or two 8inch/20cm square sheets)
- 1 egg, beaten
- To make the tarte tatin filling, peel and dice the apples into roughly ½ inch/1 cm pieces.
- Place a large, heavy based saucepan onto a medium heat and add the sugar and water to the pan. Cook over a medium heat, until the sugar melts and turns to an amber caramel - you can swirl the pan, but do not stir.
- Once an amber caramel is reached, carefully add the apples and cinnamon to the pan (the caramel is VERY HOT, please be careful!).
- Cook the apple pieces for five minutes, or until they are just tender, and then set the pan aside to cool for at least 15 minutes. The apples will look translucent and dark brown.
- Preheat the oven to 375F/180C.
- Roll out the pastry, and cut out eight 4.5inch/12cm squares.
- Divide the apple equally between the squares, then use a pastry brush to paint a little beaten egg around the edges of each pastry square.
- Fold the pastry over to enclose the filling, and press the edges gently together.
- Place the turnovers onto two lined baking sheets, with plenty of room between them.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until dark golden brown and crisp.
- Leave to cool briefly, and eat hot, warm or cold. Bon appetit!
The smell of these must have been amazing! I love that last picture. Mmm.
I’m swooning at the thought of walking down a cobblestone street right now. Also, this dish feels exotic with its french twist yet so homey and comforting with the traditional combo of apples and cinnamon. Love it!
Um, I think I just told someone the other day that i wanted to skip off and move to paris. and that is not the first time i’ve said that either.
For some reason, I just picture being able to walk around to boulangeries and eat bread and cheese all day long. oh yes, and pastries. duh. I realize that is probably not what people in france actually DO all day, but a girl can dream! :)
Your description of Paris has it ‘to a T’. I went there about a year ago and literally spent the whole time eating and drinking SOMETHING. That’s my kind of trip!
These turnovers look just gorgeous. Love the second picture down.
Hand up! I’m all about french-y pastries and food.
They look amazing Sarah! I love turnovers, especially with apples.
So…I’m headed to Paris soon. This is therefore SUPER appropriate and I feel like I should make these to…um…get my tastebuds ready for France? Yes. Gorgeous photos!!! You are a pastry goddess and these are freaking GENIUS.
That last photo…delicieux! If I lived in France I would have no self restraint…actually I have no self restraint now :)
These look absolutely SCRUMMY! And of course,nothing wrong with a bit of butter :)
Great post, I love old stuff too, especially buildings. Well, not really true. I wish people still wore hats and cars were still curvy. That molten pic really made this post!
These look and sound SO incredibly good. Oh my lord.
Are you kidding me, Sarah!?!?! These look freaking amazing! That bubbling apple shot? Wow….one of these right now with my morning coffee would be divine.
I’m with you on everything. Yep I’d be there in a nano if I could. And these delicious turnovers, Yes,. Love that last shot of gorgeous appley goodness.
Absolutely beautiful! I want to move to france :)
I am thinking of making the apples and putting them on panne cotta. What do you think?
I think YES! That sounds absolutely divine. Can I come over?
How would I go about making a glaze for these
I think just a little powdered sugar (icing sugar) mixed with a little milk and vanilla or a pinch of cinnamon, would be gorgeous.
Uhmmm I’m pretty sure I just died and went to heaven right here. This looks like my new favorite thing. You are a creative genius, my dear.