Chausson aux pommes

Serves 4

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Method

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/Gas 6. Peel and core the apples, and cut them into slices about 1.5cm thick. Toss the apples with the sugar and a pinch of salt, then squeeze over the lemon juice. Mix together by hand.

Put the apples in a saucepan with butter and cinnamon and simmer initially on a low heat, until the apples release their juices and the sugar dissolves. Then turn up to a medium-low heat until you start to reduce the liquid around the apples. Once they start to soften and are just about cooked, take off the heat and set aside to cool. Roll out the puff pastry to 5mm thick using a dusting of flour on the surface to prevent sticking, and cut 4 circles the size of a saucer. Then roll out each circle to an oval shape about 3mm.

Place a generous amount of the cooled cooked apple mixture on one half of each of the pastry ovals, being careful not to overstuff them. Use a pastry brush
to paint the egg wash all along the rim of the pastry. Fold over into half moon shapes and press the edges together. It’s best to crimp with a fork, or pastry crimper if you have one. Cut three small vents in the top of the pastry, brush the outside with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little extra sugar.

Transfer the pastries to a large baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden, buttery and flaky, and the apples oozing and sweet. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon crème fraîche: stir together the cinnamon powder, icing sugar and crème fraîche, and chill in the fridge. Serve the chaussons warm with the chilled cinnamon crème fraîche.