Pate sucrée

For 2 galettes – 10 1/2 inch pie pans.

3 cups of all purpose flour
2 1/2 sticks of sweet butter, softened
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1 egg & 1 egg yolk beaten
1 cup of roasted pecan (ground in food processor)

• Combine the ingredients in a bowl and work until you can form a ball that holds together.
• Place on the table and smear the mixture with the palm of your hand a few times.
• Divide into 2 pieces. Reserve one piece and refrigerate.
• Roll the other into a 12 inch round about 1/4 inch thick. It helps to roll the dough on a plastic sheet that provides good support when the dough is lifted around the rolling pin, ten unrolled into the pie shell. This step can be tricky when the dough is too soft since it breaks easily. Either refrigerate it for a while or simply press the dough in the pie pan by hand.
• Make a border about 1/2 inch high (thicker at the base for preventing border from collapsing during cooking).
• Cut off any dough above that and reserve with the other half of the dough in the refrigerator for another pie.
• Refrigerate until firm while preheating the oven at 400°F.
• Cook for 12 to 15 min.

Apple sauce

6 Macintosh apples
Cinnamon, sugar
2 Tbsp of butter

• Cook the apples, uncovered, on high heat until all liquid is evaporated and the apples are slightly caramelized. Leave the apples chunky if you like.
• Add the sugar toward the end of the cooking.
• Mix in the butter.

To assemble the pie

Pate brisée for a 10 inch ring mold (precooked)
4 or 5 good size apples (I prefer Granny Smith)
3 Tbsp of sugar
Apricot jam for glazing (strained: boil the jam and pass it through a fine sieve)

• Quarter the apples. Core and peel them. Cut each quarter into 4 or 5 slices.
• Cover the bottom of the pie shell with a thin layer of apple sauce.
• Arrange the sliced apples like a deck of cards on top of the apple sauce. Make the center of the pie like the petals of a rose.
• Sprinkle the sugar on the apples.
• Bake in 400°F preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the edges of the apple slices get slightly brown.
• Glaze immediately with the strained apricot jam (and diluted with cognac if desired).