#FreshTastyValentines: Individual Tarte Tatin

So.

It's the last day of #FreshTastyValentines. I'm shocked at how much I've posted for this event.  Really, I think it's more a case that I've actually sat down and written up my posts.  There's lots on the camera to come in the coming months.
First things first, we need to recognize all the amazing sponsors who have helped to make the event such a success!

(Have you entered the Giveaway yet?  You totally should.)

Today, the recipe includes a sponsor item, Envy Apples.

You know how those little cooking hack videos keep showing up on Facebook, demonstrating in 90 seconds how to make something totally drool-worthy and gorgeous?

J has taken to sending them to me.  I watch them and think, "I could do that."  and then I don't.  

But when I saw this video, and I knew that I was going to have some Envy Apples to play with, I thought that it would be worth a shot:

When I lived in France, I learned from my host mother to make a tarte tatin in a 9" cake pan.  This is just on a smaller scale.  My recipe also makes 2 - 1 for you, and one for your loved one.  Or 2 for you.
I present to you now Individual Tartes Tatin:

Ingredients:
1 apple, peeled and cored (I used an Envy Apple, but and firm apple will work)
1/2 c white sugar
1 Tbsp butter
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Sheet of puff pastry

Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Set 2 ramekins on a baking sheet.  Cut 2 circles of puff pastry large enough to fit the tops of the ramekins.
2.  In a medium saucepan, melt sugar over medium heat. Stir butter into golden syrup.  Add lemon juice and stir until incorporated.  Add apple halves and cook for 5-10 minutes, turning to coat with the carmel.
3.  Place apples, cored side up, in ramekins.  Spoon caramel over and top with puff pastry.  Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, until golden.
4.  Remove from oven, set plate over top and invert, removing ramekins.  Serve warm with ice cream.

Adapted from Buzzfeed, via Tasty

You know what I really like about what Envy sent me?  The slick corer pictured on the left.  The plunger pops out, the metal part goes into the apple, and then the plunger removes the core in one push.  Easy peasy!  I found the apples a little small for the ramekin, so used another half cut into quarters to fill in the gap.

I seem to have made a good deal of caramel in the last month or so.  This one is fairly forgiving with the butter and lemon juice.  I didn't let my sauce get as dark as the video.  It was lovely.

And it coated the apples well.  I would tip the pan and spoon it over the apples.  I didn't want them to get too soft, so I let them go on low heat for about 5 minutes.

Then into the ramekins and cover with a circle of puff pastry.  I put these on a baking sheet to make them easier to take in and out of the oven.  There was really no worry of boil-over.

Isn't this pretty?  Perhaps I should try more of the videos J sends me.  I'm not going to run out of recipe sources soon, am I?
Thanks Envy Apples for sponsoring #FreshTastyValentines.  These were delicious!






Disclosure:  I received apples and an apple corer from Envy Apples for participaing in #FreshTastyValentines.  No other compensation was received for this post.  All opinions expressed at 100% accurate and 100% my own.