This is an unusual tart. Not just for its brilliant red color, but for how it takes people by surprise when it’s turned out onto a serving platter. Be sure to plan in advance, as the apples really benefit from marinating in the red wine for at least one day, although two days of steeping gives them the best color. You’ll find the tart worth the wait.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 10-inch (25-cm) tart; 8 servings

　　8 firm medium apples (4 pounds/2 kg), such as Pippin, Granny Smith, or Golden Delicious

　　3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

　　1 bottle (750 ml) fruity red wine, such as Zinfandel or Merlot

　　Tarte Tatin Dough (page 86)

　　

Step 1

Peel, core, and cut the apples into 3/4-inch (2-cm) slices. In a large nonreactive bowl or container, toss the apple slices with the sugar. Pour the red wine over, cover, and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. During that time, stir the mixture a few times so that all the slices get evenly saturated with the wine.

　　

Step 2

Drain the red wine from the apples into a 10-inch (25-cm) nonreactive skillet (don’t use cast iron). Simmer the wine over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup (80 ml). Remove from the heat and measure out a few tablespoons of the wine syrup into a small bowl and reserve for glazing the baked tart. Heap the apples in the skillet with the remaining wine syrup and press them down to even them out.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

　　

Step 4

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) circle. Drape the dough over the apples in the skillet and tuck the edges down between the skillet and the apples.

　　

Step 5

Bake until the pastry has browned and the apples are tender when poked with a paring knife through the pastry, about 1 hour. Let cool about 10 minutes. If there appears to be an excessive amount of liquid, carefully tilt the pan over a bowl to drain some of it off (you can reduce it to a syrupy consistency for additional sauce or glaze).

　　

Step 6

Invert a serving plate over the skillet. Wearing long oven mitts, grasp both the skillet and the plate and turn them over together, away from you, to unmold the tart. Be careful of any hot juices that may spill out! Brush the tart with the reserved wine syrup.

　　

Serving

Step 7

Serve warm with crème fraîche or Vanilla Ice Cream (page 143).

　　

Storage

Step 8

The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen up to 2 months. The tart should be served warm, the same day it’s made. You can make it and leave it on the serving plate, under the overturned skillet, to keep it warm for about 1 hour before serving. It can also be rewarmed in a low oven. In either case, the tart should be glazed right before it is presented.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.