Pastis Gascon Flaky Apple Pie Gascogny Recipes

CARAMEL APPLE PASTIS

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons almonds and evenly spread remaining almonds on a baking sheet, then toast in upper third of oven until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Increase oven temperature to 400°F. 3Toss apple wedges with lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl.
• Cook 1 tablespoon butter with honey and granulated sugar in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring constantly and carefully with a wooden spoon (mixture will foam), until mixture is deep golden, about 6 minutes.
• Carefully add apples (caramel will harden, then liquefy), stirring gently from bottom of skillet to coat apples with caramel, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain apples in a colander set over a large bowl, reserving caramel. Transfer apples to another bowl and stir in toasted almonds. Pour caramel through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart heavy saucepan and discard any solids. Simmer briskly until liquid is reduced to a thick glaze (about 1/3 cup), 5 to 10 minutes. Keep slightly warm or at room temperature.
• Stir together confectioners sugar and remaining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and transfer to a fine-mesh sieve or a sifter.
• Brush springform pan with some of remaining butter. Cover stack of phyllo with plastic wrap and a dampened kitchen towel. Keeping remaining phyllo covered, lay 1 sheet on a work surface and brush with butter, then dust lightly with cinnamon sugar. Lift buttered phyllo and gently fit into pan with ends overhanging. Rotate pan slightly, then butter and sugar another sheet and place in pan. (Sheets should not align.) Repeat with 7 more sheets, rotating pan each time so overhang of sheets covers entire rim.
• Spread apple mixture evenly in phyllo shell and smooth top.
• Brush remaining sheet phyllo with butter and dust with some of cinnamon sugar and lay over filling, gently crumpling sheet slightly to fit in pan. Bring edges of overhanging bottom sheets up and over filling and top sheet to enclose. (Phyllo should look rustic, but avoid tall peaks, as they can burn.) Brush top with remaining butter and sprinkle with reserved almonds. Sift cinnamon sugar generously over pastis and bake in lower third of oven until top is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 425°F and continue baking until top is deep golden brown and shiny, about 15 minutes. (Some edges may get very dark). Cool pastis in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Remove side of pan carefully and cool pastis 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cut into wedges with a serrated knife. Serve warm or at room temperature with caramel sauce.

PASTIS GASCON (FLAKY APPLE PIE -- GASCOGNY)

Steps:

• The day before you plan to serve the pastis, marinate the sliced apples in three tablespoons of Armagnac.
• When ready to prepare, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir in one teaspoon of the orange water (you will use the rest later) and one tablespoon of Armagnac; when smooth, remove from heat and reserve.
• Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees.
• Lay out the phyllo dough on your workspace and cover it with a damp cloth.
• Using a pastry brush, butter the bottom and sides of a 10" pie plate with the butter mixture.
• Drape a sheet of the phyllo over the bottom of the pie dish with the edges hanging over the sides evenly and brush with the butter mixture (Make sure to butter the entire sheet, including the corners--but don't soak the sheets--butter lightly).
• Continue to do this with additional sheets of the dough, turning each so that the sheets overhang the pie dish all around; reserving two sheets for the top (Make sure to keep the un-used phyllo covered with the damp cloth).
• Pour the apples and Armagnac into the dough-covered pie dish and sprinkle the apples with the three tablespoons of sugar and the remaining 2 teaspoons of orange flower water.
• Fold the hanging edges of the pastry over the apples.
• Fold the remaining two sheets of pastry in half, butter them on both sides, and place them over the apples.
• Tuck any overlap into the sides of the pie and brush with the rremaining butter.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the inside is bubbly and the top golden.
• Serve warm.