Christmas Day: Maple Apple Tarte Tatin

This looked "relatively" easy to make for Christmas Day dessert so I gave it a go with minor edits...also, puff pastry and Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream from the grocery store.  I made it in the afternoon and served it at room temperature after dinner.

• 397 grams (14 oz) package all-butter puff pastry, thawed in refrigerator overnight
• All-purpose flour, as needed
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• Good pinch of kosher salt
• 2 each Fuji, Pink Lady, & Honeycrisp apples (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, cut into eighths
• Vanilla ice cream

Unfold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll into a square about 1/8" thick, using the skillet you are cooking in as a guide for the size.

Transfer pastry round to a baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Swirl butter, cinnamon, sugar, salt and maple syrup in a non-stick ovenproof skillet over medium heat until butter melts.  Add apples; increase heat to medium-high and cook until sugar melts, occasionally swirling apples in pan, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and cook, continuing to swirl apples in pan, about 5 minutes longer. Flip apples, and cook, swirling apples occasionally, until syrup is thick and golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Be patient, it will thicken even though it seems doubtful. 

Cover apples with pastry round, tucking in edges of pastry.

Bake until pastry is light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F; bake until pastry is puffed and deep golden, about 20 - 30 minutes longer.

I showed my oven because it's shiny and new.  😉 Let tatin cool for 15 minutes.

Invert a serving plate over skillet.

Using oven mitts, firmly hold plate and skillet and invert tatin onto plate.

Remove skillet.  Ta Da!!!

OMG, it was a beauty!  I was very happy with the results.  Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.  I gave my son a sample trial before dessert.

He loved it.  I debated over a teaspoon of cornstarch and 2 of water to make a slurry.  With the end result (sauce not as thick as I would have liked), I think I would do that next time.  The non-stick was excellent for inverting.  Taste was very good and apple cooked perfectly, soft but not mushy.  No complaints.