I love tarts, especially sweet ones! 
1. Whatever your mood or your craving, you can find one that will give you the "fix" you need
2. you don't need to go hunting around for exotic, rare or expensive ingredients (well, most of the time)
3. they are great for finishing any leftover fruits or chocolate even (yeah, right, leftover chocolate!!!)
I have mentioned it before, our family trademark was "le chariot de dessert", where tarts featured regularly, whether a tarte au citron, tarte aux pommes or tarte au chocolat.
More recently, I have rediscovered long forgotten "classics" including the lovely pinky red tart aux pralines, fit for a princess dinner, 
or the tarte florentine, which apparently is one of my dad's favourite (live and learn hey), below...
However, one of my favourite recipe is a simple but really yummy TARTE TATIN. An upside down apple tart with "caramelised near toffee consistency" apples:
ingredients:
1 home made or ready made shortcrust pastry
4 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
50g of butter
150g of casters sugar
Make the caramel: Pour the sugar in a pan with a few tablespoons of water, mix until dissolved then leave to boil and turn golden WITHOUT STIRRING (or you won't get caramel but sticky cristallised sugar)
Pour your caramel at the bottom of a tarte tin or the lid of a glass pie dish that can go in the oven (PIREX type)
Place the apple pieces on top of the caramel then place a few little knob of butters in between
cover the apples with the shortcrust pastry, tucking the end of the pastry against the sides of the dish
make a hole in the middle of the pastry to allow steam to escape
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes at 180 degres.
REmove from the oven, leave to cool for a few minutes then carefully turn the tart back on a plate before the caramel cools down completley and sets.
Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche, c'est TOUT!...or if you really must and have time, a scoop of home made salidou ice cream for total indulgence...
A couple of months back, I baked one of those and a poached pears and almonds tart. After much debating I decided to take the tarte tatin along to my audition for Masterchef...but didn't make it any further (boooh). Not that I will ever know but i still wonder if I made the wrong tactical choice?
