Petes Pommy Pommes Food

CHAUSSONS AUX POMMES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saute pan. Add the apples, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Take off the lid, sprinkle over the granulated sugar, toss in the raisins, if using, and cook until the sugar caramelizes and coats the fruit (by now possibly a shaggy, golden mass, depending on the type of apples). Taste. Depending on the sweetness of the fruit, you may want a squirt of lemon for balance.
• Roll the pastry out to a large square, about 1/4-inch/5 mm thick. Cut into 4 squares, then roll each one to make it slightly rectangular (not that shape matters one bit). Spoon the fruit mixture over half of each pastry, leaving a 1 cm/5 mm margin. Brush the margins with the egg wash. Fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges to seal. Set on a damp baking sheet. Slash the top of each pastry with a knife. Brush with more egg wash and let rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C.
• Bake the pastries for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C and continue baking until golden, puffed up and brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool slightly on a wire rack and serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

BEIGNETS AUX POMMES

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, sugar, beer, water, yolks, and butter. Beat until smooth. Let stand for 2 hours. When ready to use, fold in the egg whites. Prepare the filling. Use a corer to remove the cores of the apples. Peel the apples and cut them into rounds about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with the sugar, then the Kirsch. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain apples and dry on paper towels. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. Dip the apple rounds in the batter and plunge immediately into hot oil. Fry until brown on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Serve on a heated plate.

THE APPLE LADY'S APPLE CAKE (GATEAU AUX POMMES DE LA REINE DES POMMES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set it aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt, and stir to blend. Add the vanilla extract, eggs, oil, and milk, and stir until well blended. Add the apples and stir to thoroughly coat them with the batter.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until fairly firm and golden, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar, egg, and melted butter, and stir to blend. Set it aside.
• Remove the cake from the oven and pour the topping mixture over it. Return the cake to the oven and bake until the top is a deep golden brown and the cake feels quite firm when pressed with a fingertip, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the cake pan to a rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the sides of the pan, and release and remove the springform side, leaving the cake on the pan base. Serve at room temperature, cut into thin wedges.