Cut a circle from the thawed puff pastry that is roughly the same size as your 10-inch skillet. Poke holes all over to provide ventilation. Set aside.

Peel and quarter the apples, using a spoon or melon baller to remove the cores. Add to a bowl of acidulated water (water with about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice) to prevent from the apples from browning too much. Although, if they do brown, don’t worry because they are going to be brown in the caramel sauce anyway!

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Combine water and sugar and pour into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Make sure the water doesn’t boil before the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium and bring it to a boil. Be sure to not stir during this process.

Boil the caramel syrup until is has an even golden color. To encourage an even color, you can gently swirl the pan. Once an amber color is reached, add the butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stirring constantly until the color is light brown. Immediately transfer to a 10-inch oven-proof nonstick skillet.

Quickly but carefully add the quartered apples and arrange them in concentric circles on the bottom of the skillet. Add apples into the middle of the pan as well. It’s important to pack as many apples into the skillet as possible to completely fill the pan.

Over medium-low heat, cook on the stovetop for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the caramel has reduced, remove it from the heat.

Lay the circle of puff pastry on top. Tuck it down the sides of the pan with a spoon.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden and firm and the apples are tender. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before carefully inverting onto a plate or platter that is slightly larger than the skillet. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, whipping cream, or vanilla ice cream. You can also garnish with star anise for a pretty touch.