One of my favorite fall activities on the east coast is going apple-picking. There’s one farm where my family has been going to for years — we go for peaches and berries during the summer, and apples and pumpkins during the fall. It’s a nice way to spend the weekend when all of us are in town (a rarity!), and get into the fall spirit with apple cider and sweet treats. Without a doubt, every year we manage to fill our barrel with way too many apples (it’s easy to get lost in the fun of picking apples and not realize how many you’ve tossed into the pile!). This year was no different.

Over the years, we’ve tried to be creative with the different apple creations (apple pie, crumble, muffins…). This year, we decided to try a recipe of a favorite dessert from Paris — la tarte tatin.

Out of all of the deliciously and beautifully crafted desserts in France, one of my favorites is the tarte tatin — a simple buttery tart baked with caramelized apples, often served warm and with a dollop of crème. There’s something about the warmth and familiarity of the dessert that makes it special, and I like the fact that it’s not too sweet, but just right for an after-dinner finish. Because there’s often not a “set” dessert menu at many Parisian restaurants, but rather a rotating ensemble of potential chef creations, I always get excited when the kitchen has a tarte tatin on the menu for the night. Below is one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, Le P’tit Canon, where they serve a delicious tarte tatin:

In all of my years of eating tarte tatin, I realized I had never actually attempted to make one from scratch. Since hopping on a train to Paris has not been as easy since moving back to the states, we decided it might be nice to try to make one from scratch to be able to enjoy it at home. The dessert is especially prime for the fall, when apples are in abundance. Armed with a bucket full of apples from apple-picking the other weekend, we decided it would be the opportune time to try it out.

The result was delicious and addictive (warning: if you make one at home, be prepared to see it go quickly). Here’s the recipe if you find yourself with an abundance of apples and craving a warm and comforting dessert. Happy cooking!