tarte Tatin is an upside-down apple tart made by putting butter and sugar in the bottom of a tin-lined copper pan, baking dish, or ordinary pie pan about two and a half inches deep, adding a layer of peeled and quartered (or sliced) apples, then adding more butter and sugar to the apple layer. The whole is covered by a layer of pastry—which can be short crust, sweet short crust, or puff pastry—and baked in a hot oven until the pastry is browned and the apples are deep golden and nicely caramelized. Julia Child points out that judging the right amount of caramelization is greatly aided by the use of a Pyrex baking dish. Once the tart is cooked, it is unmolded upside down so that the crust is on the bottom and the apples are on the top, a move that may take some practice.
