food and drink, recipes

Today the French are electing their new president. I hope they make a good and wise choice (hint: she would be France's first female president), I fear they won't.

Update: the French elected Sarkozy instead.

In their honour, here is a simplified version of my favourite dessert. I made it last night to celebrate one year exactly since we moved into the new flat.

It is taken from this list of tarte Tatin recipes. Quantities are for 6 to 8 persons.

Ingredients

• 12 small apples
• 250g puff pastry
• 90g unsalted butter
• 210g sugar
• 2 large pinches of cinnamon

Preparation

1. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and refrigerate it
2. Peel the apples
3. Cut out the cores
4. Cut them in quarters
5. Put 75g of sugar in an oven mould and melt it on the stove
6. When it is dark brown, add 30g butter
7. Cool down and remove excess butter
8. Line mould with apple quarters (base and sides)
9. Cover with the remaining 90g of butter cut into thin slices
10. Sprinkle with the remaining 135g of sugar mixed with the cinnamon
11. Bake at 190C until a sharp knife falls into the apples under its own weight (approximately 30 minutes)
12. Cover with the rolled-out pastry, trimming away the excess and tucking it into the sides of the mould
13. Cook for a further 30 minutes
14. Let it cool as long as you can before turning it out on a serving dish
15. Serve with a dollop of double cream, crème fraîche, clotted cream or vanilla icecream