This is another recipe I've been waiting for a good time to make. My mom actually having a cast iron skillet, plus a big brunch with my brother and sister-in-law provided the perfect opportunity. This. was. so. good.
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
7 apples
1 stick butter
1 C sugar
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, with a baking sheet inside. Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Melt the butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. When melted, take off heat and whisk in the sugar, the mixture will be thick, but that's ok.
Spread it evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Line up the apples in a circular pattern on top of the butter and sugar. If all the apples don't fit, don't worry, the apples will cook down and you can fit more later. Cook the apples over medium high heat for about 15 minutes, until the butter and sugar have formed a nice caramel color.
Meanwhile, roll out the dough a little, and use a plate to cut it into a circle, slightly larger than the skillet. When the apples and caramel are done, place the dough on top, tucking in the edges. Bake for about 30 minutes, on top of the preheated baking sheet, until the pastry is puffy and browned.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Invert onto a plate using pot holders. If any apples stick to the skillet, just remove them and put them back in their place in the tarte.
Beautiful, simple, and so yummy!
On Saturday, Amanda, Danielle, and I went down to Eastern Market to pick out some apples. We then proceeded to make apple everything. Danielle made Smitten Kitchen's "Mom's Apple Cake" (yum), while Amanda and I made our mom's apple pie. This is Keena's (Amanda's mom) recipe, but has become a staple in both of our families. Come to the Rowe or Halpin household any holiday and you'll be sure to find this apple pie. It's simple, delicious, and has a fun secret ingredient!
Keena's Apple Pie
8-10 apples, cut into slices
2 pie crusts
1 1/2 C corn flakes cereal
1 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 C powdered sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare your first pie crust (whether making from scratch, or just taking out of package), and place in the pie plate, with the edges draped over the sides of the plate.
Place the corn flakes in the bottom of the crust. Pile apples slices on top. I put as much apples as I can before the start to fall off. Sprinkle the sugar over the pile of apples, shake the plate a little so the sugar falls in between the slices. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the apples and sugar. (BTW - I use way more than 1 tsp) (Also- you could choose to mix the sugar, cinnamon, and apples slices in a bowl before hand, you could also just mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle that on top, my way is laziest). Cover the pie with the second crust. Fold the edges of both crusts together and crimp. Beat an egg with a drop or two of water, and brush the whole crust with the egg mixture, with a pastry brush. Cut a few ventilation slits in the top of the crust. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. A few minutes before the pie is done baking, mix the powdered sugar and syrup together to form a slightly runny paste. When the pie comes out of the oven, let cool for a few minutes, and the drizzle the maple syrup glaze over the top.
Thanks to Amanda for taking some photos while I was baking. That means, you get to see me whilst baking:
