The mornings have turned chilly quite suddenly and so it is apple season! And so it is also tarte tatin season. Let’s talk about this.

It is the easiest of all desserts, and yet the instructions for tarte tatin are always intimidating. Witness the struggles of our pal Deb over at the wonderful Smitten Kitchen. Back in 2008, she endorsed a friend’s recipe, which is very good, because she’d ruined too many herself. Finally, last spring, Deb engineered a recipe of her own, based off Julia Child’s. I disagree with both of them, somewhat! Maybe even with Julia Child! (Waits for lightning bolt to strike me down.) Where we all do agree is that tarte tatin is a little unpredictable, and therefore, I think, it should be treated as casually as possible. If a dish is going to turn against you half the time, why fight with it? So here’s how to whip one out casually. It’s extremely easy and fast and satisfying and you feel like a pretty, full-hipped French lady in a chic blouse in some wonderful country farmhouse while you make it. (So, basically, like David Sedaris.)