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At 24 years old, I went overseas for the first time. Our first stop was Paris. Bleary-eyed and jetlagged, we checked into our hotel late at night with little awareness of our surround- ings. The next morning when we left our hotel, we found ourselves in the most charming neighbourhood (Le Marais) and across the street from a little bakery.
We bought chaussons aux pommes, still warm out of the oven, and ate them as we walked towards Notre Dame Cathedral. I was sure I’d never tasted anything so deli- cious—and for the first time understood what it’s like to really taste butter! Ever since, whenever I travel to Paris I always buy a chausson aux pommes for my first breakfast.
Traditionally, chaussons aux pommes are made using croissant dough, but that’s pretty tricky to make at home. I find that with good-quality store-bought frozen puff pastry, you can make a very delicious version in your home kitchen.
CH AUSSONS AUX POMMES (Apple Turnovers)
Ingredients
- 400 g 3 or 4 small apples Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
- 60 g (¼ cup) water
- 50 g (⅓ cup) firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 30 g (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 package frozen puff pastry 2 sheets, each sheet about 10 inches square
- 1 Tbsp brandy or calvados 2 large egg yolks beaten sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Peel, core, and dice the apples into 1- to 2-cm pieces. In a saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the brandy, puff pastry, and egg yolks. Sauté over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the apples are very soft, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
- Once the apples have softened, turn the heat up to medium. Add the brandy and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. This should take less than 1 minute. Set the apples aside to cool, and then place them in the refrigerator. The apple filling needs to be completely cool before filling the puff pastry.
- Line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Take the puff pastry out of the freezer and leave it on the counter to defrost. This should take 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure it is still cold when you start working with it.
- Once thawed, on a lightly floured surface, roll out each sheet of puff pastry slightly to make it smooth. Using a small bowl or lid 4 to 5 inches wide (about the size of a yogurt lid), cut out 4 circles per sheet.
- Place 1½ to 2 Tbsp of apple filling in the centre of a circle. Using your finger, dab a bit of water around the edges. Fold the circle over to make a half-moon shape. Using your fingers, press down on the seam edge to seal well. With a pizza wheel (best option) or a sharp paring knife, trim the edge of the puff pastry to create a clean line. Avoid using a fork to crimp the edges as this will prevent the pastry from puffing out as it bakes.
- Transfer the chaussons to a lined baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, gently brush egg yolk over the whole of each chausson.
- Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. While the chaussons are chilling, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- When the chaussons are cold, brush them with another layer of egg yolk. Using a small, sharp paring knife, score each chausson with a half-moon shape from corner to corner, making sure not to cut all the way through the dough. Score small diago- nal lines on each side of the half-moon to create a leaf pattern, again not cutting all the way through. Sprinkle generously with sugar.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is a deep golden brown. Don’t be alarmed if yolk that may have baked around the edges gets quite dark. After the chaussons have cooled to the touch, remove them from the parchment, cutting off any dark yolk drippings. Serve warm for maximum enjoyment!
Notes
a bit pricier, but worth it for the quality and flavour. See page 170 for tips on how to work with puff pastry.
Excerpted from Duchess at Home by Giselle Courteau. Text copyright © 2019 Giselle Courteau. Design and Photography © 2019 Sarah Hervieux. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
