Paul Franson

There are a million variations on this classic caramelized-apple upside-down pie invented by the Tatin sisters of France in 1889. Here’s a simple one that works well. It’s for two, for obvious reasons, but can be made as individual tarts or one larger pie with more ingredients.

Ingredients (for two):

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. butter

2 large, firm cooking apples like Golden Delicious peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices or wedges

Round of phyllo pastry or conventional pie crust dough to fit inside baking dish

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Place sugar in stainless skillet (don’t use nonstick as you need to see the color change). Heat it careful, no stirring (though you can tilt the pan for uniformity) until the sugar is light brown. Carefully add butter and apple slices and cook until they’re a little soft. Try not to stir too much as the caramel will stick to your utensil.

Pour hot mixture into ovenproof pan (I often use a small, very well-seasoned cast-iron frying fan though I think the ideal would be a non-stick pan). Be very careful as the caramel can cause bad burns.

Quickly top the apples with the round of phyllo dough or pastry, making sure it doesn’t touch the sides as it might stick when inverted. Bake until the pastry puffs and browns, then carefully invert on a plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.