Bilberries

Thanks to all for ideas. In the end I made little pastry tartlets with a bit of grape jelly in the bottom, then bilberries then a grape jelly glaze on top. I found some nougat ice-cream in the freezer to have with it, so thanks also to whoever it was on Gransnet who recommended the James Martin desserts book, as that recipe is just fab.

Just remembered - Calville. I wouldn't use those in a tatin though, I would use a cox or something similar. We get quite a lot of Braeburn in the shops now, sometimes spelt Breaburn or Breadburn. I think the secret of tatin is to get the sugar / butter base right, but I use Tamasin Day-Lewis's recipe. I remember making a banana tatin one election night - it kept us going until the small hours.

I wasn't going to put apples in, but the cooking apple of choice in Normandy is the wonderful Canada Gris; much, much better than the Bramley I think. I planted one a few years ago and it is doing quite well now. They also use a red one (can't think of the name) that cooks beautifully; large bags appear on my doorstep in autumn.
I have got a specialist tatin pan without a handle.

Ah! I have been following a recipe for Normandy apple tarte tatin that says to use Cox's apples, which are my favourites. Also, I wonder if the heaviness of the pan is significant - I have a Tefal pan that I can put in the oven, but I'll try it with the Le Creuset one. I avoided it for the reason you say jeni so heavy to flip, but they can cook longer and slower in the heavy pan. Watch this space - I'm going to have another go

I use granny smith as well. Ido use French Brittany butter along with the golden caster sugar. I have a lecreuset pan with integral cast iron handle tha Ouse for it. The only tricky bits inverting as it is heavy!
I really could do with a third hand!

I am always afraid of doing a tarte tatin because of putting the handle of the pan in the oven BUT the last pans I bought actually say they can go in the oven so intend to give it a go when I go back to France next week.
The French tend to use Granny Smith apples for cooking as they do not really have a cooking apple although Bramleys do grow very well and get to a huge size - we usually get a good crop from ours.

I use the same pastry jeni. I think I've been spoiled when I tasted the wonderful Normandy tartes and I've never been able to replicate them

Crepes?

Use all butter ready made pastry. I use puff. The apples MUST NOT be chilled ones!

...and, yes, a bilberry tarte sounds great - let us know how it comes out, won't you?

If you've got a surefire tarte tatin recipe Mamie I would love to see it - my tartes always end up not having that certain something that I taste from Normandy patisseries. Is there something extra that gets added to the apples, is it the choice of apples, or is it the butter in the pastry?

Yes I thought crumble was very English, but they love it round here - normally apple or rhubarb. I was just debating whether a tarte tatin would work?

LOVE clafoutis! Mamie if I nip down to the tunnel I could pop over....

I've always thought of crumble as being very English Mamie. Well, I will be making a blueberry crumble today, as we haven't had it for a long time. My default pudding always seems to be apple pie.

I had thought of clafoutis and custard. Can't bear the thought of crumble as it seems to be the default pudding of all the French women in the village...

What about a bilberry clafoutis (sweet batter) Mamie. I saw a chef do one with a crumble topping cooked separately then spinkled on top of the baked clafoutis. You could make custard to go with it?