Bonjour from a very hot corner of Brittany!
I know I sound like a broken record, but France is bracing for yet another exceptional stretch of hot weather. Forecasters are predicting temperatures that could make this one of the hottest heat waves on record. Here in Brittany, where summer is usually synonymous with sea breezes and mild afternoons, the forecast is calling for temps up to 36°C (97°F). To say the Bretons are stunned would be an understatement.
Whatever happened to our famously temperate summers? Not so long ago, we’d pack a sweater for a day at the beach. Now, shutters are drawn by mid-morning, and everyone is searching for a patch of shade.
And although the calendar insists that summer doesn’t officially begin until June 21st, the season seems to have arrived weeks ago. You can see it at the market.
The fruit stalls are already piled high with apricots, peaches, nectarines, and cherries; sun-ripened treasures that usually don’t make their grand entrance until later in the summer. As I wandered through the Saturday market in Lorient this week, tote bag in hand, I found myself lingering at every stand, drawn in by the colors and sweet fragrance of the fruit. By the time I left, I had fully surrendered to stone fruit season.
When the days are this hot, French home cooks tend to follow a simple rule: spend as little time as possible in the kitchen and let the season do the work.
The best summer desserts aren’t elaborate. They’re simple, unfussy, and built around whatever looks most beautiful at the market that morning. And that’s exactly what led me to today’s recipe: my Apricot Tarte Tatin.
This sunny twist on the beloved French classic swaps apples for ripe apricots, which soften into a luscious layer of fruit beneath a glossy caramel as they bake. Add a sheet of buttery puff pastry, and that’s really all there is to it.
I love recipes like this because they capture what French home cooking does so well: transforming a handful of simple ingredients into something that feels effortlessly elegant. When you turn the tart out onto a serving plate and reveal those glistening apricots, it looks as though you’ve spent hours in the kitchen. In reality, the fruit does most of the work on its own.
Serve it slightly warm, perhaps with a spoonful of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’ll understand why summer desserts in France are often the ones we remember most.
Bon appétit !
Apricot Tart Tatin combines ripe, seasonal apricots, rich caramel, and flaky, buttery puff pastry. The method is much the same as for the classic apple Tarte Tatin: first, you make a caramel, then gently par-cook the fruit in it. The apricots are arranged in the bottom of the pan, covered with pastry, and baked until golden brown. Once out of the oven, the tart is carefully inverted, revealing a layer of tender, caramelized apricots atop a crisp, buttery crust.
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