Coussinets Aux Pommes

Coussinets aux pommes translates loosely to “apple cushions," and the name fits beautifully.

Whole peeled apples sit on squares of handmade lemon-zest pastry, their cores stuffed with a mixture of icing sugar, soft butter, egg yolk, and a splash of cognac.

The pastry folds up around each apple like a parcel, topped with a little round cap, brushed with beaten egg, and baked until the crust turns deep golden and the apple inside goes tender and fragrant.

Serve them warm with a billow of whipped cream, or go the more decadent route and pour Marsala wine over the top.

Chef Tips

• Keep the butter cold and cut it into very small pieces when making the pastry. Warm butter melts into the flour and gives you a tough, biscuit-like dough instead of a flaky crust.
• Rest the dough for the full 90 minutes at cool room temperature. The fridge makes it too stiff to roll, but the rest lets the gluten relax for a tender pastry.
• Choose firm apples like Braeburn or Golden Delicious that hold their shape during baking. Soft varieties collapse inside the pastry.
• Tuck sultanas and currants into the cognac-butter filling for little pockets of fruity sweetness throughout.