Apple tatins with cheese-baked pastry and sticky caramel

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Melt the sugar in a large ovenproof pan over a medium heat, until caramelised and golden.
Dust the puff pastry
with a little flour then roll out.
Push the star anise into the cavities left by the apple cores then place the apples, flat side down, onto the pastry.

Using a sharp knife, cut around them, leaving a large border. Remove the apples and scatter the cheese shavings onto the centre of each pastry round.
Place the apples onto the pastry rounds, cut side up, then mould the pastry around them, leaving the cut side of the apples uncovered.
Place the apples, cut side down, into the pan with the caramel.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden, and the caramel bubbling.
Remove from the oven and carefully lift the apples onto serving plates.

Serve immediately.