8 to 10 servings. This pie is best served at room temperature with a dab of crème fraîche.

Pâte brisée

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 stick of frozen unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup of chilled water
1/4 tsp of salt
1 Tbsp of sugar
1 egg lightly beaten

• Place water and butter in a food processor.
• Process until mixture resembles cornmeal.
• With motor on, add the water mixed with the sugar, salt and egg yolk.
• Process until the dough begins to gather into a ball. Do not over process.
• Shape into a ball and cover dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a 13-inch round and chill in the refrigerator.

Filling

8 granny smith apples (peeled and quartered)
3/4 cup of sugar
4 Tbsp of butter

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Put 2 Tbsp of butter in a heavy 12 inch round fireproof pan, melt and add half the sugar along with 1 or 2 Tablespoons of water for moisture.
• Cook gently until it bubbles. Turn off the heat.
• Tightly arrange the quartered pieces of apples on the pan. Fill any spaces with pieces of apple.
• Cook, covered for 10 minutes until the apples have softened.
• Uncover and cook until the apples start to caramelize – about 15 minutes.
• Cut the remaining butter over the apples and sprinkle the rest of the sugar as well.
• Gently lay the pâte brisée over the apples so that it falls on the side.
• Prick the top evenly with a fork to let the steam escape.
• Cook in preheated oven for 10 minutes then turn oven down to 350°F and cook for another 1/2 hour or until the crust is golden.
• Let the pie cool. But warm up the pan before unmolding the pie on a serving plate. Move the pie back and forth gently to make sure it does not stick.

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).