Pleasantly Tart

I think it was nine years ago when Jean-Bertrand gave us a memorable dessert, a kind of upside-down apple tart.  I was delighted by two things: first, by the tart itself; and second, by the discovery that actual French people cook from recipes by Julia Child.  (And why not?  They’re thoroughly tested and in their way perfect.)

Anyway, what Julia calls La Tarte des Demoiselles Tatin stuck in my mind, and since we had a dinner party last night, I thought I’d give it a try.

I’m not really a dessert person, and I’m not a baker at all, which is why the dish appealed to me.  It’s dead simple: peel and carve a bunch of apples, put them in a baking dish along with sugar and butter, drop crust on top, and bake till the filling bubbles up and the crust is golden-brown.  Once out of the oven, invert so the apples are on top.  If the apples are too pale, sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on top and put them under the broiler.

Which is where the dish went slightly wrong, as you can see.  At least now I know that my broiler’s BTUs are uneven.

Still, it was pretty, and also pretty tasty.  Less a win for me, than for Julia.