Normandy is France’s apple region and naturally boasts an impressive apple-centric recipe repertoire. Of their sweet selection, these bourdelots are likely to be one of the simplest recipes—but one of the most delicious too.
I see this dessert as a lovely ode to treasured autumn fruits, parading them with no frills. Whole apples are simply filled with a dollop of red currant jelly, draped in a rich buttery pie dough and baked to perfection. The crust becomes crisp and golden, and the apples turn utterly soft and sweet inside, with a slight zing from the jelly. It’s everything you love in a slice of classic apple pie, but bigger and better.
These Bourdelots are meant to be served warm with a big spoonful of crème fraîche, in true Normandy fashion. You could also switch the apples for pears—in which case, they are called douillons.
SERVES 6
For the Pie Crust
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (78 g) sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup plus 1½ tbsp (250 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 large egg yolks
⅓ cup plus ½ tbsp (88 ml) cold water
6 medium-size baking apples (such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Jonagold)
2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, divided
6 tbsp (120 g) red currant jelly, divided
1 large egg yolk, for the egg wash
6 tsp (24 g) sugar, divided, for sprinkling
Crème fraîche, for serving
To make the pie crust, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter, and mix with your fingers until the texture is crumbly and pea-size bits of butter are still visible. Add in the egg yolks and mix to combine. Add the cold water, and mix to form a smooth ball. Wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
While the dough is resting, wash, dry and core the apples.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4), with a rack in the middle.
Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap and transfer onto a floured work surface. Divide into six equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 9-inch (23-cm) diameter circle.
Place an apple at the center of a dough circle. Insert about 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter in the center. Then add 1 tablespoon (20 g) of red currant jelly; remove a tiny bit if it overflows. Gently bring up the edges of the dough over the apple to drape it entirely. Pinch the edges at the center to seal, and trim any excess dough you may have. With the excess dough, you can use a knife to cut out decorative leaf shapes and stick them at the top of the wrapped apple. Repeat with the other 5 apples.
Gently transfer the wrapped apples onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Beat an egg yolk in a small bowl, and brush it evenly all over the apples. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar over each apple.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden.
Let cool 15 minutes, and serve warm with a dollop of crème fraîche.