Apple tarte tatin with Cinnamon ice cream

INGREDIENTS

• 10 Granny Smith apples, peeled
• 2 cups (440g) caster sugar
• 200g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• 375g frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed

CINNAMON ICE CREAM (MAKES 1.2L)

• 400ml milk
• 600ml pure (thin) cream
• 4 cinnamon quills
• 10 egg yolks
• 150g caster sugar

Serves 8

METHOD

1. For cinnamon ice cream, place milk, cream and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to just below boiling point. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale. Gradually pour milk mixture over egg mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer to a clean saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring, for 7-8 minutes or until custard coats the back of a spoon. Chill until cold, discard cinnamon quills, then churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a loaf pan and freeze overnight

2. Halve apples, then using a melon baller, remove the core, tip and bottom from each. Place half the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling pan, for 5-6 minutes or until a dark caramel. Add half butter and half vanilla seeds. Swirl to combine. When sugar mixture is emulsified, add half the apple and cook until coated in caramel (about 5 minutes). Transfer apple mixture to a heatproof container to cool. Repeat the coating process.

3. Once caramel apple is cool enough to handle, place halved vanilla pod on bottom of a 22cm non-stick, ovenproof frypan and pour over caramel. Arrange apple on top in a circular pattern, packing in tightly in a single layer, and chill for 12 hours to set.

4. Place a sheet of puff pastry over apple, pushing pastry between apple and edge of pan. Chill for at least 1 hour to set. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

5. Using a small, sharp knife, cut 2 slits in the middle of tarte Tatin to allow some steam to escape. Place frypan over high heat. When caramel starts to bubble, remove pan from heat and transfer to oven.

6. Bake tarte Tatin for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and stand for 15 minutes, before carefully fliping over onto a serving plate. Serve with cinnamon ice cream.