The Perfect Pudding for a Cosy Yorkshire Weekend
~ Wednesday 17 June 2026 ~
One of those wonderfully forgiving puddings that looks far more impressive than the effort involved. Soft apples, buttery caramel and crisp pastry come together in a dessert that feels deeply comforting for an Autumn weekend. Serve warm with a dollop or two of crème fraîche or your favourite ice cream and don’t worry if it looks a little rustic - that’s very much part of its charm. People will almost definitely assume it was much harder to make than it actually was too.
A French Classic Enjoyed in Thirsk
Don’t Be Afraid of Butter
Tarte Tatin (tart ta-TAN) is said to have been created by accident by two French sisters running Hôtel Tatin in the Loire Valley. According to culinary legend, Stéphanie Tatin was making an apple tart and accidentally cooked the apples too long in butter and sugar. Rather than starting again, she placed the pastry on top of the apples, baked it, and then turned the tart upside down before serving it.
The result was so delicious that it became the hotel’s signature dish and eventually one of the most beloved desserts in French cuisine.
Julia Child helped make it famous far beyond France, and we now enjoy it regularly throughout the Autumn here in Yorkshire, proving that some of the very best recipes are also the simplest.
It’s the kind of pudding we love at Newsham and Peckish - unfussy, generous and just a little bit theatrical when you turn it out. And if the caramel bubbles over or the pastry isn’t quite perfect, all the better.
Tarte Tatin
Ingredients
- 6 firm apples (Braeburn, Cox or whatever you have that’s looking best)
- 100g caster sugar
- 75g unsalted butter
- 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry
- Crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)
- Peel, halve and core the apples
- Melt the sugar in an ovenproof frying pan until it turns a deep golden colour
- Add the butter and stir carefully until smooth
- Nestle in the apples and cook for 10 - 15 minutes until softened and glossy
- Lay the pastry over the top, tucking the edges into the pan
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden
- Leave to rest for five minutes
- Place a large plate over the pan, take a deep breath, and turn it over in one confident movement.
- Serve warm with a generous spoonful of whatever you fancy - crème fraîche or ice cream usually do the trick!
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