APPLE AND PECAN TARTE TATIN

APPLE AND PECAN TARTE TATIN – WITH A BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

(Enough to serve 8)

BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

100 g   butter

200 g   NATURA golden light brown sugar

150 ml cream

5 ml     vanilla

TARTE TATIN

6          Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored, cut into quarters (or smaller)

100 g   butter

180 g   NATURA golden light brown sugar

5 ml     ground cinnamon

100 g   lightly toasted, chopped pecan nuts

1          sheet puff pastry

METHOD:

• Mix together the ingredients for the butterscotch sauce in a small saucepan on medium heat, stir to melt the sugar and cook until it is thick and a syrup (110°C) Optional to stir in 5 ml Maldon salt
• Preheat your oven to 200°C
• Melt the butter and NATURA golden light brown sugar together on low heat and cook until caramelised in the pan that you are going to use to bake your tarte tatin.  The pan must be ovenproof.
• Remove from the heat once the caramel is a dark golden brown and place the apples neatly in the caramel. Scatter with half of the pecan nuts.
• Roll out the puff pastry on a floured worktop and cut a circle a bit bigger than the pan (about 4cm larger in diameter)
• Cover with the puff pastry and tuck in the pastry so that the fruit is contained. Cut a slit in the centre of the pastry to let out steam.
• Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, then place a serving dish on top of the pan and carefully turn upside down (work quickly and be very carefully!). Remove the pan. If any fruit has moved out of place, now is the time to carefully put them back in place if necessary.

• Return the pan to the heat and quickly toss the rest of the pecan nuts in the remaining caramel sauce for a few seconds. Scatter the pecans over the tart. Cool, garnish with sprigs of thyme and serve with crème fraiche, whipped cream or ice cream and the butterscotch sauce.