CHAUSSONS AUX POMMES

This is a recipe that's post has been much delayed. It was first planned as an autumnal post, but here we are at the end of January.

There are many great boulangeries in Tokyo, and one of the hardest treats for me to resist when I'm in one is a "chausson aux pommes". It's like an individual apple pie, but better because the bottom turns out just as well baked and flaky as the top. (I always have trouble getting the base of apple pies to brown well.) "Chaussons" means "slippers" in French, making "chaussons aux pommes" translate to "apple slippers". This name, combined with the traditional leaf design created on the surface, makes me think that these treats have "cozy autumn" written all over them, but piping hot out of the oven they weren't bad at all on a cold winter day as well.

The traditional chaussons aux pommes uses a pâte feuilletée for the crust, but since I had leftover pâte feuilletée rapide from my previous post, I used that instead. (Well to be honest, I made the pâte feuilletée rapide specifically for these, so I suppose it wasn't "leftover" pastry dough.) It made the crust less puffier (flakier?), but they were still good and a huge hit with my family.

Be careful not to soak the chaussons when brushing with the egg wash, and if you're like me and like an extra crisp & crumble for your first bite, dust with confectioner's sugar twice while baking. I'm also thinking that these would be quite lovely served with vanilla ice cream; must try next time.

* { chaussons aux pommes, crust adapted from : 辻調グループ (tsuji group) — 速成パイ生地, filling adapted from : williams-sonoma — apple pie }
— click on the images above, or continue reading for the recipe

{ ingredients } makes 10-12 chaussons aux pommes
< for the pâte feuilletée rapide >
125g cake flour
125g bread flour
225g cold unsalted butter
140ml water
5g salt

< for the filling >
1200g apples (about 4 apples)
30g granulated sugar
70g brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

< for the egg wash >
1 egg (beaten well)

< for the glaze >
confectioner's sugar for dusting

{ method }
1. Make the pâte feuilletée rapide and chill until ready to use. (See post "LA CRUST | PÂTE FEUILLETÉE RAPIDE") Preheat the oven to 200℃.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about 5mm thick. Using a 9.5-10cm scalloped-edge round cookie cutter, cut out the "chausson" circles, place on a baking sheet, and chill in the refrigerator.
3. Meanwhile, make the apple filling. Peel and core the apples and cut them into cubes. Combine the apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cornstarch in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, set over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples become tender. (This should take about 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook and make them mushy.) Uncover and cook a bit more, until the liquid becomes thick and glossy. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Cool to room temperature.
4. Take out the pâte feuilletée circles from the refrigerator, and gently roll each circle into an oval with a rolling pin. (Be careful not to lose the scalloped edges.) Place the ovals back on the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
5. Scoop a spoonful of the apple filling in the middle of the top half of an oval. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the top half of the oval with egg wash. Gently fold the oval in half (so that the bottom half of the oval covers the filling) and seal the edges by gently pressing with your fingers. Repeat until all ovals are filled and sealed, and brush the surface of each "chausson" with the egg wash. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, or until the egg wash is dry.
6. Brush the chaussons once more with egg wash. Using the tip of a very sharp knife, create a leaf pattern on the surface, (be careful not to cut through the dough; using the back of the blade makes this easier,) and stab one place around the center to create a slit that will allow steam to escape.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and quickly dust the chaussons with confectioner's sugar. Return to oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the sugar is completely melted and turned into a glaze. Cool the chaussons on a wire rack and serve warm, or straight out of the oven and piping hot.