Caramel Apple Flan Pâtissier
Or tart ta-flan if you will
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This week on Bake Off we saw the bakers make a classic tart tatin, please forgive me but I have to admit, I’ve never really been a fan of classic tart tatin, I’m not sure why because I love all of the elements but I always end up feeling like it isn’t quite worth the effort. I did toy with the idea of turning it into a cake as a part of my desserts as cakes series but I couldn’t quite figure out how to get the puff element into a cake, I haven’t given up entirely but it requires a bit more mulling over. So instead I decided to make not quite a tart tatin and not quite a classic flan pâtissier but a tart ta-fan! Did I make this because I thought of the name tart ta-flan and loved it? Yes. Is it incredibly tasty? Also yes. It’s a combination of caramelised apples, caramel custard and flakey cinnamon puff pastry, slightly reminiscent of a pastel de nata but not quite as sweet.
Flan pâtissier has always been a bit of a mystery to me, I’ve dabbled but never really given it the attention it deserves. After months of admiring Darcie Maher’s flans at Lannan Bakery from afar, I paid them a visit, tasted one and decided it was time for me to tackle them myself. This was a project that took A LOT more trial and error than I was anticipating, I can’t tell you how many flans I’ve made this week (hence the delay in posting), but despite being a slightly frustrating process, I’ve learnt a tonne about what makes a good flan pâtissier and I’m going to share my findings with you and how to make the most flan-tastic flans.
Before we jump in, I want to warn you that is a long one! This recipe is more challenging and best made over the course of a few days to allow the pastry to rest between turns and after rolling, it can be made in one day but just expect to be busy all day.