Tartouillat aux Pommes

100 g golden caster sugar
70 g cold butter, grated
500 g peeled golden apples, small cubes

pâte brisée:
200 g all-purpose flour
100 g butter, cold
20 g golden caster sugar


Preheat the oven 180°C hot. Prepare a non-stick pan with a diameter of 25–27 cm.

Cut thin slices of half of the butter and layer them in the pan. Sprinkle half of the sugar, then add half of the apples. Thinly slice the remaining butter and lay it on top of the apples. Add the rest of the sugar, vanilla, and the remaining apples.

Roll out the dough to be about 1 cm larger than the pan and place it on top, tucking the edges in. Prick with a fork to allow the steam to escape, then place in the oven for 40 minutes.

Take the tart out of the oven, wait for 5 minutes, then place a plate on top and carefully turn it over.

IMPORTANT: If you see that there is a lot of liquid (which may happen depending on the variety of apples used), wait a bit longer before turning it over. Once the liquid has set, turn it over then. If you do it earlier, the liquid may splash, which can dirty your clothes and possibly burn you. That’s why I don’t follow the recipe exactly as it says to turn it over after 20 minutes, which never works for me. The only result is my clothes needing another dry-cleaning session from butter splashes.

Once turned over, slide the cake back into the pan and place it in the oven, one level higher than the middle. Bake for another 10 minutes to caramelise the apples. Take it out and slide it onto a plate, letting it rest. Serve either very warm or slightly warm, but definitely warm. If not warm, then at least the same day.

If you do happen to leave it until the next day, reheat it in a warm oven at 180°C for 5–7 minutes to melt the butter and caramel, and that’s it. Then serve.

I love to eat it with a generous spoonful of crème fraîche.

From book Les carnets de cuisine de Toulouse Lautrec