Tarte Tatin

CARAMELIZED GOODNESS: The result of you efforts should look something like this. (Wikimedia)

Ingredients:

1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
1 pound brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 pound unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 to 7 medium-sized Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into quarters
3 tablespoons sugar mixed with
2 tablespoons cinnamon
10-inch diameter plate

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel, core and slice apples. In a medium stainless steel sauté pan or heavy iron skillet combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until it turns brown color and thickens. Remove from the heat, add the butter, and let cool.

Line the outside of a 9-inch spring form pan with foil to catch drips. Spread butter evenly into a 9-inch spring form pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Pour caramelized sugar into spring form pan. Arrange apple slices into an overlapping pattern over sugar layer. After you have covered the pan with one layer of apples, sprinkle them with half of the cinnamon sugar.

On a floured work surface, roll pastry sheet into a 10 1/2-inch squares to a thickness of about 1/8 to 1/4 inch and place it over the apples. Cut out a 10-inch round. Trim the edges with a sharp knife, using a plate as a guide. Transfer round to a baking sheet and chill. Cover apples with pastry, trimming sides if necessary.

Place the spring form pan on a baking sheet. Add another layer of apples and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly, and then releasing sides of pan. Place a large plate over pastry, then invert so apple layer is on top. Remove bottom of pan slice and serve warm (with ice cream if desired)