Apple Cinnamon Slab Pie

It's sort of an inside joke with Jesse that I am not a pie master.  I made him an apple pie for his birthday and burned the crust.  Subsequent pies have been not burned but I have yet to master the art of the beautiful crimped pie crust.  And yet, he loves apple pie.  So I either don't make his favorite dessert, or I do but he teases me!  Quite the quandary.

Enter the slab pie.  It's the easiest dessert known to mankind, calling for puff pastry in lieu of homemade pie dough.  The apples get cooked on the stove with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon, which caramelizes and sweetens them as they cook.  Then they get spooned over some of the puff pastry while the rest of it covers them up in a slab shape (hence the name).  Some egg wash and a sprinkle of sugar, and it's time to bake.  Quick, easy and, as you can see, pretty!  No teasing about burnt crust or lack of finesse on crimping here.  Just a great option when you're not feeling up to an apple pie!

Recipe:

apple cinnamon slab pie
from Natasha's Kitchen
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound (2 large appples), peeled, cored and cut into 1/3" slices
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
all purpose flour for dusting
1 egg, lightly beaten
coarse sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat.  Add sliced apples and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, 6 -8 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and stir in brown sugar and cinnamon.  Continue to simmer until apples are soft and caramelized, about 5 minutes.

2) Lightly dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour.  Place your thawed puff pastry dough over it and roll it out slightly to flatten to top.  Roll out to a rectangle about 9 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches.  Cut puff pastry dough in half down the center to make 2 pieces, each about 4 3/4 x 10 /12 inches.

3) Arrange apples in a tight row lengthwise down the middle of one puff pastry sheet, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.  Pour remaining syrup from the apples over the top of the apples.  Brush beaten egg around the edges of pastry.  Top with the second pastry sheet and press down on edges to seal.

4) Cut 6 1-inch wide slits down the center of the pastry to create vents.

5) Brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle the top generously with coarse sugar.  Bake for 15 - 17 minutes or until top is golden brown.