DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes to soften slightly before rolling out.
Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 14-inch round. Transfer to 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press onto bottom and up sides of pan. Cut off all but ½-inch dough overhang. Fold overhang in, pressing to form double-thick sides extending ¼ inch above rim. Chill crust 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust 5 minutes. Using back of fork, press crust up sides of pan if slipping. Bake until golden, pressing up sides and piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 25 minutes longer. Cool crust completely.
FILLING: Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream to simmer in saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Whisk in honey. Pour filling into crust. Chill until set, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Sprinkle tart with pine nuts. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
This classic dessert was created by the Tatin sisters of France’s Loire Valley. Legend has it that in trying to repair a baking error, they ended up with the renowned upside-down tart. A tarte Tatin is sometimes made with puff pastry; this version has a rich buttery crust that’s easy to make. Red Delicious apples are a good choice here, because they hold their shape when cooked for long periods of time. 8 servings
Crust
1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 large chilled egg yolks
Filling
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
10 small Red Delicious apples (about 3½ pounds), peeled, halved, cored
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
CRUST: Blend flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and blend until moist clumps form. Gather into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes to soften slightly before rolling out.
FILLING: Melt butter in heavy 9 ½-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. Add sugar; stir until melted and mixture is smooth and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Arrange half of apple halves, rounded side down, over caramel. Top with remaining apples, rounded side up, covering apples on bottom and filling pan completely. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until apples on bottom are almost tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover skillet. Increase heat to medium and simmer until apples are very tender and syrup is thick and deep amber color and thinly coats bottom of pan, shaking skillet gently to prevent sticking and to distribute syrup evenly, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 9 ½-inch round. Remove top sheet of parchment. Using bottom sheet of parchment as aid, invert dough round onto hot apples; remove parchment and pierce dough several times with knife to allow steam to escape. Bake tart until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes.
CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM: Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, and cinnamon in large bowl until very thick and soft peaks form.
Place flat platter atop tart and pan. Using oven mitts as aid, grasp platter and pan together and quickly turn over, releasing tart onto platter. Carefully remove pan. Replace any apples that may have become dislodged. Serve tart warm or at room temperature with cinnamon whipped cream.
The classic French upside-down apple tart gets an exotic touch from allspice and pomegranate syrup that’s made from reduced pomegranate juice. A portion of the syrup is added to the caramelizing apples, while the rest is served alongside with vanilla ice cream. Any leftover syrup would be delicious served with Greek yogurt. 8 servings
Crust
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
Filling
3 cups pomegranate juice
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
7 medium Golden Delicious apples (about 3 ¼ pounds), peeled, quartered, cored
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice Large pinch of coarse kosher salt
Vanilla ice cream
CRUST: Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, blend until coarse meal forms. Add crème fraîche; using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 11-inch round. Slide onto rimless baking sheet. Cover and chill.
FILLING: Boil pomegranate juice in heavy large saucepan until reduced to scant 1 cup syrup, about 15 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Pomegranate syrup and crust can be made 1 day ahead. Cover syrup and chill. Keep crust chilled.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Spread room-temperature butter evenly over bottom and up sides of heavy 10-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle sugar evenly over butter. Cook over medium heat without stirring until mixture bubbles all over, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stand apple quarters on 1 end around edge of skillet, leaning 1 cut side against pan side and fitting snugly. Stand as many apples in center as will fit. Sprinkle apples with allspice and coarse salt.
Cook apples over medium-high heat until thick, deep-amber syrup bubbles up, shaking skillet gently to prevent sticking and to distribute syrup evenly, adding any remaining apples as space permits (apples will shrink as they cook), about 20 minutes. Pour ¼ cup pomegranate syrup over (mixture will bubble). Cook until juices thicken, 4 to 5 minutes (syrup will be deep amber). Remove from heat.
Using spatula, press apples gently toward center, then down to compact. Slide crust over apples. Tuck crust down around apples at edge of skillet. Cut 4 slits in top for steam to escape.
Bake tart until crust is brown and juices at edge are thick and dark scarlet in color, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove skillet from oven; let stand 1 minute.
Place large plate over skillet. Using oven mitts and holding plate and skillet firmly together, quickly invert tart onto plate. Carefully lift off skillet. Return any apples to tart that may be stuck in skillet. Let cool at least 15 minutes. Serve tarte Tatin warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and drizzles of remaining pomegranate syrup.