Fall is approaching, and I am craving that cool crisp weather and the colors. I love Minnesota in the fall, and at the right time of day as the leaves are falling you can drive or walk down my street in uptown with all the houses, trees, and cars and it’s like a scene from a picture. Makes me love Minnesota every time, and so glad I moved here. In hopes and anticipation of fall, I made a small tarte tatin and served it with vanilla bean ice cream.
The concept of this tarte is very, very simple. It’s sugar, apples, and pie dough or puff pastry. Delicious and simple, and it’s easy to scale down or up depending on pan size. I used a 6″ frying pan that is rated for up to 500°F for oven use, two apples, and a half sheet of puffy pastry. Adding more flavor dimensions by adding a bit of lemon juice and zest and of vanilla and cinnamon. It is as I like, a quick, tasty dessert that includes little ingredients, but tastes like it took hours. The nice thing with this tarte is that you can make it ahead and let it cool, the flavors will meld together and be amazing, then reheat for 5 minutes before turning out onto a plate to serve. As with any apple dessert, vanilla bean ice cream is the ideal accompaniment.
The Catalyst: Cupcakes 