-PASTRY-
1 c Flour 1/2 ts Salt
1/4 lb Butter; cold in pieces 4 tb Water
FILLING
4 1/2 lb Apples; golden Delicious 1 c Sugar
1 Lemon; juice of Creme fraiche, whipped cream
6 tb Butter – or vanilla ice cream
Make pastry by processing flour, salt and butter until resembles
coarse crumbs. Add water and stir with fork until dough comes
together. Shape into disk and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Preheat
the oven to 350. Peel, halve and core apples. Toss with lemon juice.
Melt the butter in a large oven proof skillet. Stir in the sugar and
3 tb water and cook over moderately high heat until a rich brown
color, 8-10 min. Stir during the last few minutes. Remove from heat,
Pack the apples into the skillet in concentric circles, standing on
their ends. Cook over moderately low heat until the apple juices
bubble in the caramel, 5-8 min. Place the skillet in the oven and
bake for about 25 min, until the apples are tender. Remove the
skillet from the oven and increase the temperature to 425. Roll the
pastry into an 11 inch round. Drape over the apples tucking the edges
between the fruit and the side of the skillet. Make six 1 inch slits
on top and place the skillet on a baking sheet. Bake in the upper
third of the oven for 25 min, until the pastry is golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool 5 min. Run a knife around the pan and
invert onto a serving dish. Serve with creme fraiche, cream or ice
cream.
Yields
8 servings