You need

1 packet of frozen puff pastry, defrosted

3-4 small cooking apples e.g. Granny Smith or pears, peeled

200g light brown sugar

150ml warm water

150g butter

Optional: A few sprigs of lemon thyme or salt flakes

Egg wash (mixture of 1 yolk and 25ml water or milk)

23cm diameter non stick cake pan or frying pan that has a metal handle. I bought a cake pan specifically for Tart Tatin!

To prepare

Unroll the defrosted pastry and cut a circle 2cm wider than the cake pan.

Slice the apples or pears into quarters or 8 slices. If you use smaller wedges you do not need to par-cook the apples in the syrup, but just arrange them on top of the caramel. Some recipes use quarter apples, then par-cooking is preferable!

Using the frying pan or a saucepan heat the sugar and water dissolving the sugar before it boils. Heat the syrup with stirring until it starts turning pale golden. Add the apples or pears and allow them to simmer slowly until tender. Remove the fruit and continue cooking the syrup until it caramelises.

Pull the pan off the heat and stir the butter in….. it will bubble vigorously may splash so be careful!

If using the pan you prepared the caramel in for baking, allow it to spread in the base of the pan or pour it into the cake pan.

At this stage you can add fresh herbs, salt flakes etc.

Arrange the fruit in the base of the pan remembering that the base of the pan will be the top.

Place the pastry over the fruit and tuck the extra cm edges in.

Paint the surface of the pastry with egg wash.

Bake at 190°C for 30-35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully ease the pastry from the pan edge with a teflon scraper, being careful not to scratch the non-stick surface.

Invert a serving plate over the pan, and being careful not to burn, turn it over. Leave the inverted pan over the serving dish for a few minutes for all the butterscotch to pour over the fruit.

Serve warm with thick cream or good quality vanilla ice cream.