Serves 4-6
Can be vegan*

The original Tatin or "upside down tart" was made with apples, but you can vary the fruits or even make a savoury version. By cooking the pastry on top of the fruit and then turning it out so that the pastry becomes the base you achieve a crisp rather than soggy crust with fruit in a thick syrup. Add the rich butterscotch sauce for anyone with a really sweet tooth and/or dairy or soya cream to complete this dessert.

Pastry crust:
100g/4oz plain white flour
pinch cinnamon or mixed spice
50g/2oz butter or vegan margarine*
105-120ml/7-8tbsp iced water

Topping:
50g/2oz butter or vegan margarine*
225g/8oz fresh pineapple, sliced
1 ripe mango, sliced
1 banana, cut into rings
30-45ml/2-3tbsp dark muscovado sugar
15ml/1tbsp rum

Butterscotch sauce (not vegan)
75g/3oz butter
200g/7oz dark muscovado sugar
30ml/2tbsp golden syrup
75ml/3fl oz double cream

To serve partially opened physalis (Chinese lanterns)
optional:
icing sugar to dust
dairy or soya* cream

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6

1. Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. Cut the butter or margarine into small pieces, rub in with the fingertips to breadcrumb consistency and add sufficient water to mix to a dough. Roll into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. For the topping: Melt the butter or margarine in a frying pan and gently fry all the fruit until just tender. Stir in the sugar until melted. Take off the heat, stir in the rum and leave to cool.

3. Place the fruit mixture into a 21cm/8½" round non-stick (solid) shallow cake tin.

4. Roll out the pastry crust to fit and trim the edges.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until golden.

6. Turn out onto a serving plate so that the fruit is now on top. Decorate with physlais and icing sugar and serve with butterscotch sauce, cream or soya cream.

7. To make Butterscotch Sauce: Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a small pan over a gentle heat, stirring all the time. Stir in the cream and serve.

Copyright - The Vegetarian Society's Simply Good Food. Published by HarperCollins Illustrated 2000