The Tarte Tatin, legend has it, was invented by mistake when a woman by the name of Stéphanie Tatin started to make an ordinary apple pie to serve to their guests in the Hotel Tatin. She left the apples, butter and the sugar on the stove for too long and it started to burn. She wanted to cover up her mistake and placed the pastry lid on the "burning apples" and proceeded to place the whole pan in the oven. When she turned the pie upside down after baking she was pleasantly surprised and served it to her guests who were ecstatic about this new dessert. So, the Tarte Tatin was born and today it is such a classic dessert enjoyed by so many people.


I do however think that Stéphanie Tatin will make tumbles in her grave, because although the original recipe asked for firm dessert apples, cooks around the world make all kinds of tarte tatins these days, even caramelized onion features on occasion.

I have made A Tomato Tarte Tatin  and an Apple TarteTatin before, but this time round I wanted to use some of the delicious plums I had in my fruit basket. The plums were slightly tart so I had to use quite a bit of sugar and for some added flavor I used a star anise and some cinnamon. In my mind I had visions of melted ice-cream on top of a slice of this tarte tatin and I knew that it had to be a special ice-cream....something fragrant and mysterious...... and I found it on one of my  favorite sites...Tartelette!!!!  The dessert was heavenly and everything I had hoped it would be, so please go ahead and try it and if plums are not your thing, try a different fruit or even a vegetable....it's a breeze to make!! I  made up this recipe as I went along, but it worked so here goes...

Heat a oven-proof skillet on the stove and add the sugar, butter and spices to the skillet. Slowly melt the sugar and butter and then wait for it to start caramelizing(watch it all the time..it burns quickly) Now place your plum slices in a single layer in this caramel( make a circular pattern if you wish or keep it rustic). Cool slightly while preparing your pastry. I used a good quality puff pastry, but you sre welcome to make your own.... Simply roll out to about 5mm thick, cut a disc slightly larger than your pan and lay it on the caramelized plums, tuck in around the edge. Egg wash and bake until golden and bubbly. Place a plate over the pan and turn the pan upside down to release the Tarte Tatin.

Vanilla and Cardamom Ice-cream - Recipe used from my favorite blog Tartelette

Ingredients

4 egg yolks
2 cups cream
4 oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 cardamom pods, broken in half

In a large glass bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick, add the vanilla.
In a pot on medium heat, bring the cream and cardamom pods to boiling point but do not let it boil.
Bit by bit pour the hot cream onto the egg yolks mixture and stir to combine. Pour the  mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cream coats the back of spoon.
Let cool completely, strain the cardamom pods and refrigerate until cold. Process the custard according to your ice cream maker manufacturer's instructions.

I am submitting this recipe to.... 
Sugar High Friday (SHF) was created by Jennifer, the Domestic Goddess and is a monthly desserts extravaganza. The host (i.e. me) picks a sugary theme and the participants (i.e. you) make an exemplary dessert based on the host’s choice of topic for that month. On the ‘Sugar High Friday’ at the end of the month, the host presents a round-up of all the entries for you to feast on.
This month the theme was chosen by Kate from A Merrier World, a lovely new site I have found....
Sweet Comforts: Desserts you Turn to for Comfort.