Apple and Pomegranate Tart Tartin

From the kitchen of Carly

Caramelized apples meet tart pomegranate syrup in this elegant flip, finished with a buttery, tender crust. The bright, jammy reduction cuts through the sweetness while allspice adds subtle warmth. A stunner that tastes far more impressive than it actually is.

Apple and Pomegranate Tart Tartin

Golden Delicious apples caramelize in brown butter and pomegranate syrup, then get crowned with a buttery pastry crust that cracks open to reveal glossy fruit and tart-sweet glaze. The trick is letting that sugar-butter mixture bubble undisturbed until it turns deep amber, the color that separates forgettable from unforgettable. Serve with vanilla ice cream that melts into all those caramelized corners.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 cupall purpose flour
  • 2 tbspsugar
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 6 tbspchilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cupcrème fraîche or sour cream
  • 3 cuprefrigerated pure pomegranate juice
  • 1/4 cupunsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cupsugar
  • 7 mediumGolden Delicious apples , peeled, quartered, cored
  • 1/8 tspground allspice
  • 1 largepinch of coarse kosher salt
  • 1Vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  1. Pulse the first 3 ingredients in a food processor for 5 seconds. Drop in the chilled butter and pulse again until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the crème fraîche and pulse, using on/off turns, until moist clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap and chill 1 hour. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to an 11 inch diameter round. Slide onto a rimless baking sheet, cover, and chill until ready to use, up to a day ahead.

  2. Pour the pomegranate juice into a heavy large saucepan and boil until reduced to a scant 1 cup of syrup, about 15 minutes. The syrup keeps covered in the fridge for 1 day.

  3. Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F. Spread the room-temperature butter evenly across the bottom and up the sides of a heavy medium oven-proof skillet (10 inches across the top, 8 across the bottom, 2 1/4 inches deep). Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the butter. Cook over medium heat without stirring until the mixture bubbles all over, about 3 minutes. Pull from the heat. Stand the apple quarters on one end around the edge of the skillet, leaning one cut edge against the pan and fitting them snugly. Stand as many apples in the center as will fit. Sprinkle the apples with allspice and salt.

  4. Cook the apples over medium-high heat without stirring until a thick, deep-amber syrup bubbles up. Add any remaining apples as space opens (they will shrink as they cook), about 20 minutes. Pour 1/4 cup of the pomegranate syrup over the top (it will bubble). Cook until the juices thicken again, 4 to 5 minutes; the syrup will look deep amber. Pull from the heat.

  5. With a spatula, press the apples gently toward the center, then down to compact them. Slide the chilled crust over the apples. Press the crust down around the apples at the edge of the skillet. Cut 4 slits in the top to let steam escape.

  6. Bake the tart until the crust browns and the juices at the edges turn thick and dark scarlet, 25 to 30 minutes. Pull the skillet from the oven and let it stand 1 minute.

  7. Set a large plate over the skillet. Using oven mitts and gripping the plate and skillet firmly together, invert the tart onto the plate. Lift off the skillet carefully. If any apples stuck in the pan, return them to the tart. Cool at least 15 minutes. Serve the tarte Tatin warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of the remaining pomegranate syrup.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Reduce your pomegranate juice down to a true syrup the day before, not a watery glaze. You want thick, coat-the-back-of-a-spoon consistency that reads as deep amber when it hits the apples.
  • Don't stir the butter and sugar mixture once it hits the heat. Let it bubble undisturbed so the bottom caramelizes evenly. Stirring breaks the caramel and muddies the color.
  • Chill your pastry dough at least an hour, preferably overnight. Cold dough rolls smoother and shrinks less when it bakes on top of the hot fruit.
  • Golden Delicious are non-negotiable here. They hold their shape through caramelizing and have enough natural sugar to play nicely with the pomegranate tang.

Variations

  • Skip pomegranate and use white wine reduced to syrup instead. The apples get a subtle, dry-seeming edge and pair beautifully with rosemary or thyme scattered on top.
  • Swap half the apples for fresh pears. Pears caramelize faster, so add them halfway through cooking to keep them from turning to mush.
  • Add a whisper of Cognac or Calvados to your caramel once it reaches deep amber. About 2 tablespoons, stirred in off heat, adds richness without tasting boozy.
  • Use a 9-inch cast iron skillet instead of the specified pan. It holds heat better and gives you an even darker, more dramatic caramel.

Make ahead and storage

Wrap leftover tart loosely with foil and refrigerate up to 2 days. Rewarm gently in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to revive the crust and soften the fruit. Freezing is not recommended since the pastry gets tough and the fruit weeps.