Tarte Tatin

For New Year's Eve, I made a tarte tatin. I've always wanted to make this but I was always too lazy to do it. My main drive to make it that night was because I've been reading other baking adventures by the TWD bakers for three years now and I thought...yes!!! 2012 will be the year I join them!! So, I thought, I should make something! What should I make? Tarte tatin? Tarte tatin.

I burnt it. 
I kept reading notes that said to keep cooking it til it's a dark caramel!! And that I won't regret it! 
I guess I went too far. Sigh...
It was still awesomely tasty. That deep rich caramel flavor was all throughout every bite. Yum. 
I had to make it again. 
And so I did. 
Three days later. 

I used REALLY BIG Fuji apples for this one. 
I'm not sure which one was better. They both were super delicious! The first one, since it was cooked longer, had an almost dark maple syrup flavor with an aftertaste of apple. And the second one had larger apple chunks, making it have a bigger apple pie presence. 
I don't think I can choose. And...I don't have to. One thing I do know is that I had each of them the next day and it was fantastic! The syrupy goodness seeps into the crust and gives you a buttery, sugary goodness that makes your mouth salivate every time you think about that day you ate the tarte. Sigh...
If you would like to be in sugary bliss as well, you can find the recipe on NPR's All Things Considered or in Dorie Greenspan's awesome cookbook.