Mini Strawberry Tarte Tatin ( Steam Combi or Conventional Oven)

 

 

Today at work I wanted to do some comparison cooking – to cook the same thing in a dry oven and also in a steam combi oven to see the differences in the results .

I wanted something easy and with available ingredients and I recalled a Mini Tarte Tatin recipe I had seen by Donna Hay in one of her cookbooks.

I normally make Tarte Tatin in a cast iron frypan but I had some mini cake tins and thought i would give these a go.

The resulting individual desserts were yummy , easy to make and delicious in both the dry oven and the steam combi – however the steam combi definitely resulted in  much lighter puffier pastry .

For a dessert in a hurry this is delicious dessert will leave lips smacking and wanting more.

STRAWBERRY MINI TARTE TATIN

INGREDIENTS: ( for 4 tarts)

12 Large or 16-20 small strawberries, sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons  butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tspn Vanilla paste
2 sheets pre rolled  butter puff pastry

4 small pie dishes or small cake tins
(If using loose bottom cake tins you will also need to cut baking paper to line the base and sides of each tin.

 

METHOD:

Line cake tins with baking paper if necessary ( no need to do this for tins that dont have loose bottoms)

Place sliced strawberries in the bottom of each dish, arrange the bottom layer nicely with the larger outer edges toward the outside and the points toward the middle ( this will be the top of the tart when it is cooked)  . There is no need to pay so much attention for anything except that bottom layer.

In a small saucepan melt butter, and stir in brown sugar and vanilla and stir until melted and caramelised, but be careful not to burn .

Pour caramel over strawberries .

Cut 2 circles of pastry the size of each tin and carefully cover the fruit and tuck down the edges to form a good “seal” .Cover with second disc of pastry .

Heat oven to 200 degrees celcius ( 390F)

( Use Steam Combination if you have a Steam Combi Oven)

Cook for 20 minutes till pastry is risen and golden .

Rest for a couple of minutes then invert onto plate.

Serve with Cream or Icecream .

( You can replace the strawberrries with many other different fruits – Blueberries, sliced apricots or peaches,sliced pineapple,plums, apples or even bananas.)

If you cant get butter puff pastry, regular puff pastry will work just as well – it just doesnt quite have the same rich yumminess)