Apple Brown-Butter Jalousie

Serves 8

Yields one 6x14-inch pastry

by Kimberly Masibay
from Fine Cooking
Issue 83
Last Edit Date: 11/7/2011 3:51:54 PM

For this pastry, the fruit filling shouldn’t be very juicy or the bottom crust will become soggy. The solution is to precook the apples and reduce their juices. The filling can be made and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

more about:

1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. Granny Smith apples (about 3 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Pinch freshly grated or ground nutmeg
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out with the back of a knife (reserve the seeds)
1 large egg
1 sheet frozen packaged puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm brand), thawed overnight in the fridge or according to package instructions
Flour for rolling out the dough
1 tsp. demerara, turbinado, or granulated sugar
Crème fraîche, lightly sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Make the filling:

In a large bowl, toss the apples with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.

In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until the milk solids turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla seeds, and stir. Carefully add the apple mixture to the skillet; with a heatproof rubber spatula, scrape all the sugar and spices from the bowl into the skillet. Stir the apples to coat them with the butter and then spread them in a fairly even layer. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring gently with the spatula every few minutes (try not to break the apple slices), until the apples are tender but not mushy (taste one) and still hold their shape, and the juices have cooked down to a fairly thick, brown, bubbling syrup, 10 to 13 minutes. Scrape the apples into a wide shallow dish or onto a baking sheet to cool completely before assembling the jalousie.

Assemble the jalousie:

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. In a small bowl, make an egg wash by beating the egg with 1 Tbs. water until well combined.

Unfold the puff pastry dough on a floured surface, and gently pinch together any seams that have split. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x14-inch rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut the rectangle in half lengthwise to form two 6x14-inch rectangles. Use a long spatula to help you move one of the dough rectangles onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Use a pastry brush to brush a 1-inch border of egg wash around the perimeter of the dough. (Save the remaining egg wash.) Arrange the fruit in a 4-inch-wide strip down the length of the dough. (I like to shingle the apple slices in a thick herringbone pattern down the length of the dough; you may need to make a double layer of apples.) Some syrupy apple juices will likely remain in the dish; spoon 2 to 3 Tbs. over the apples. If some of the liquid seeps onto the egg-washed border, don’t worry about it.

Lightly dust the remaining piece of puff pastry with flour and then gently fold it in half lengthwise; don’t crease the fold. Using a sharp knife, cut 1-1/2-inch-long slashes at 1-inch intervals along the folded side of the dough; leave at least a 1-inch border on the remaining three sides. Do not unfold the dough. Using a long spatula, gently lift the folded strip and position it over the fruit-filled dough rectangle, matching up the straight edges.

Slash along the folded side.

Gently unfold the top piece of dough and stretch it over the filling, matching the straight edges all the way around the perimeter of the dough. Press the edges gently with your fingertips to seal the dough, and then, with a fork, very gently crimp the edges of the dough all the way around the pastry.

Unfold the dough over the filling.

Bake the jalousie:

Chill the assembled jalousie for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

Right before baking, brush the top of the jalousie with a very light coating of the remaining egg wash (you won’t need it all) and sprinkle with the demerara, turbinado, or granulated sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes and then rotate the baking sheet. Continue baking until the pastry is puffed, deep golden brown on top, and light golden brown on the bottom—use a spatula to gently lift the jalousie so you can peek underneath—another 10 to 15 minutes. Immediately transfer the jalousie from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for at least 45 minutes. (Instead of trying to move the hot jalousie with a spatula, lift the parchment to move the jalousie to the rack and then carefully slide the paper out from under the pastry.)

Serve the jalousie slightly warm with crème fraîche, lightly sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream, if you like.

Make Ahead Tips

The jalousie is best served the day it’s made, but it will keep, wrapped well in aluminum foil, for three days. You can reheat it in a 325°F oven for 5 minutes before serving.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on 8 servings; Calories (kcal): 250; Fat (g): 13; Fat Calories (kcal): 120; Saturated Fat (g): 5; Protein (g): 3; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 6; Carbohydrates (g): 30; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1; Sodium (mg): 190; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 1;

Photo: Scott Phillips

Rate this Recipe and View Reviews

user reviews
made it?
RATE IT!

by LArcher, 10/19/2012Made this tonight with farm fresh Ida Red apples and my family (who have tried everything apple) exclaimed that this was fantastic! My daughters are growing up to be "fine cooking" fans. Please keep up the recipe excellence!

by capsaiCyn, 8/19/2012Well, I barely got to taste any of it, but apparently it was really good because it disappeared lightning fast at the party I took it to and I got a least a dozen compliments on it! =)

by shaunnieb, 6/5/2012I've made this twice now, both got rave reviews. it is easy and does come out looking like the picture every time! I followed another reviewer's suggestion to hold apples in lemon water until ready and that works perfectly every time (so thank you!). my only other tip would be to keep slices fairly thick. the first time, I sliced them too thin and they really shrank when I browned them. slightly more than 1/4 inch, maybe not as much as 1/2 inch is perfect...

by mikemac_99, 12/31/2011Tasty and easy to make. Apples can brown a bit after you peel and slice them, so what I did was take the rest of the lemon juice (you only use 1 tsp, so the lemon has plenty left to give) and put it into a bowl of cool water. The apple slices held in the acidified water don't brown, so you have time to do other steps. I made the browned butter mixture, prepared the bowl with the filling ingredients except the apples, and only then drained and patted dry the apple slices. A quick tossing in the bowl and it was into the butter mixture to cook. It's a small detail, but I didn't want oxidized apple slices.

by Vavalee, 1/25/2010I have made this recipe many times. I always make two--to use up both sheets of puff pastry in the package. I agree that you have to pay attention to the instructions the first time you make it. But after that, it's very easy and pretty quick. It always comes out just like the photo and is very flaky. The Granny Smiths hold their shape and don't get mushy. The mixed-berry version is also yummy, and even easier.

by lantonow, 11/29/2009Seemed a little complicated the first time. I really had to pay attention to the instructions, and wasn't exactly sure what I was doing. But after having gone through it once, it's actually super easy and the end result is both tasty and impressive looking.

by polina, 10/29/2009I really hate it when people rate a recipe they haven't even tried. Despite that this was a very good recipe. So easy to put together. I used Jonathan apples instead.

by pielady, 10/1/2009I really hate Granny Smith apples and always substitute something that doesn't stay crunchy in the desert. Macintosh, Early Gold, Jonagold, Ginger Gold are all good. Why do so many recipes call for Granny Smith? Other than that, the recipe looks great and I will try it soon, but NOT with GS apples.

by Virgie, 8/1/2009Made this for our wine club dessert and for friends who loved it. I used a teaspoon of vanilla when cooking the apples and it worked out fine. Only complaint, this recipe isn't in the issue listed on the article as I prefer to use my magazine vs. printing out the recipe.

by SusanCooks, 9/29/2008This is a wonderful, easy recipe. Using the frozen dough makes it a snap. I make a double batch of the apples & my kids eat the extra.

by DKB, 9/6/2008My husband and I loved this dessert and declared it better than apple pie. I used Trader Joe's all butter frozen puff pastry dough and substituted vanilla bean paste.

by Chefsallycam, 7/16/2008I've made this many times and always keep puff in the freezer. It's become one of my "go to" desserts. Nice to be able to make it a few hours ahead in total or even the apple filling a day ahead. It's impressive looking too. Everyone loves it. Need to be careful when slicing the apples to get them thick enough as noted in the recipe. I also get more apples than specified for thick perfect slices, discarding (or snacking on) the thinner end slices. Terrific, although it does not serve eight, better at six.