A Homemade Life: Tarte Tatin

Poor poor second children.  Little Thatbaby gets dragged all over town because how do you explain to a 3 year old that you can't do something because of the new baby?  You don't.  Instead you strap on the infant and head out.  Really, it's partly his own fault for being born in the summer, when there are so many activities we usually do as a family.

Like the fair.  It wouldn't be summer without our annual trip to the fair! 

The first thing we did when we got there was head for the animals!  Thatkid fed and pet cows, sheep, and goats.  But before long he was itching to head over to the rides.


He started slow with the carousel.

Although of course he chose the least tame of the carousel animals.  Maybe partially because we're going through a "How to Train Your Dragon" phase right now?


Thatkid's big milestone was that he rode all the rides by himself this time!

And he did some major thrill-seeking rides.  This balloon ride spun and went up pretty high in the air.  Thatkid got to ride it several times, because it had to keep stopping to let off crying, scared kids.  When he first got on, we were worried he'd be scared, but he surprised us with his bravery.

And proof that he will be quickly joining Thatboy on the big rollercoasters at amusement parks, his last and favorite ride was his very first roller coaster!

He had the biggest smile plastered on his face the whole time this fast coaster whipped him around.

After the rides, we headed over to "The Farm" where Thatkid made me identify every vegetable or grass that was growing out of the ground.  And World of Horses where they had every horse imaginable.  We also made our usual stops at the photography exhibit and the gems and minerals.

And of course, no trip to the fair would be complete without our annual stop at the photo booth!  This time with  our newest addition!

Four years of family fun!

Thatkid may be into the rides, but Thatboy and I always look forward to fair food.  We let Thatkid pick out ANYTHING he wanted for dinner.  And in classic Thatkid fashion, he went with pizza.

A sausage for me, because where else can you find a giant link like this?

Thatboy wins for weirdest fair food.  And friedest fair food.  The triple decker krispie kreme cheeseburger. 

I was not impressed.  I was even less impressed with his other choice, a deep friend peanut butter pickle.

I love fried pickles, but adding the peanut butter ruined them for me. 

Don't feel too bad for me, Thatkid and I split an even better fried fair concoction - funnel cake!

There were so many fruit toppings available, I just couldn't decide and went with the plain, unadulterated version.


It didn't hurt my decision making that I had this beauty at home.  Wizenburg's tarte tatin has all the benefits of funnel cake, but is so much easier to make.  I'm guessing.  I've never actually tried to make funnel cake at home.  But using pre-made puff pastry gives that same doughy goodness.  And it's topped with caramelized apples, making it even better than anything I could find fair-side.

Tarte Tatin (From A Homemade Life)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 to 6 Golden Delicious Apples

6 Tbsp butter

14 oz puff pastry

1. Stir together the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a large bowl.  
2. Peel and quarter the apples, trimming away the cores such that the quarter has a flat inner side.  Put the apples in the bowl with the lemon juice and sugar.  Toss well and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. In an 8 or 9 inch ovenproof pan, melt 4 Tbsp butter over medium heat. 
4. Add remaining 1 cup of sugar, along with 3-4 Tbsp of the lemon sugar juices.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring regularly, for 15 minutes.
5. Remove pan from heat and carefully arrange the apple pieces, rounded side down, in a decorative pattern.  Arrange a second layer of apples on top.
6. Dice the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and distribute them evenly over apples.
7. Preheat oven to 375.  Cook apples over medium low heat for 20 minutes, frequently spooning the bubbling caramel over them.   Remove pan from heat.
8. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface, until it is 1/16 thick.  Using a sharp knife, trace a circle in the pastry about 10 inches in diameter. Trim away the excess dough.  Carefully lay the pastry circle over the apples in the skillet, tucking the overlap between the apples and the side of the pan.
9. Place the skillet on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes.  Remove skillet from the oven and let it rest for a minute. 
10. Tilt the pan slightly and pour as much of the juice as you can into the sink or trash can.  Place a serving platter upside-down over the skillet and invert the tart onto the platter.