Honeyed Apple Tarte Tatin

This traditional French dessert gets a Rosh Hashanah spin in this elegant and delicious finale.

Apples and honey are classic Rosh Hashanah fare: The apple symbolizes the relationship between Jews and God. Meanwhile, the honey is a symbol of sweetness for the upcoming year. They go together like peas and carrots, or Bert and Ernie.

I have been looking for an excuse to make a tarte tatin (or “taste Satin” according to autocorrect. Maybe it’s just that delicious it’s sinful…but I digress…). Rosh Hashanah seemed like the perfect opportunity.

I relied on the recipes of two other bloggers to bring this dish together, so instead of reprinting their recipes I will simply provide the links.

The caramelized apple ingredients list and instructions come from Veena Azmanov’s blog. Be sure to read the instructions carefully before beginning, as they are written in a non-traditional format. Meanwhile, the gluten-free crust comes from the Bojon Gourmet site. This crust was truly beautiful – light and buttery, nutty flavored yet subtle, and not pasty. Plus it doesn’t include eggs or a large amount of rice flour, which I was personally trying to avoid. I recommend working with it in between parchment sheets and you shouldn’t have any trouble rolling it out or transferring it into the pan to seal the apple-caramel deliciousness on the way to the oven.

A note on serving…

No fancy French dessert is truly complete without an accompaniment. If you have time, tarte tatin is traditionally served with a cream anglaise. But this doesn’t hold up well, and who has time to make a delicate custard sauce in the middle of serving your company dinner. Whipped cream spiked with vanilla, a touch of honey, and even a teaspoon of applejack will suffice. I promise.

Be sure to cook your apples in the syrup low and slow to allow them to caramelize. I found it easiest to flip the slices with a chop stick midway through cooking. I just reversed the spiral pattern. Also pack those slices in there as they cook down!

Bon appetite!