Apple Pizza

The Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, is upon us.  Apples and honey are common ingredients in Rosh Hashanah desserts.  Last year, I made an apple challah.  The year before, an apple crisp.  This year, I wanted to make something else.  The challah was actually delicious, but I wanted to make an apple dessert this year; the apple crisp literally weighed a ton, and lugging it from Manhattan to Brooklyn back to Manhattan then on the train to Westchester, and then walking through the train because my car wasn't going to open at my stop was almost as taxing as a workout at the gym.  So I went in search of an apple dessert that was not a cupcake, and came across an apple pizza by John Barricelli on Martha Stewart's page.  I was intrigued.

Of course I didn't have enough counter space to roll it out into the 16x11 rectangle, so I made a smaller but - in my humble opinion - just as cute one.  I think that some cinnamon might be nice on it, too, but since this was the first time I made it, I didn't want to change it too much.

 

 

Apple Pizza

Ingredients:

Pate Brisee (aka crust)
     2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
     2 teaspoons sugar

     1 teaspoon coarse salt

     1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

     1/4 cup ice water

1/2 cup applesauce (they made their own, I went with no sugar added store bought)
6 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/8" thick slices
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
5 Tbsp confectioner's sugar, for dusting
1/2 cup apricot jam
(I bet some cinnamon on top would be fantastic, too).

Directions:

Make Pate Brisee: In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds.
With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until dough just comes together.  Dough should not be wet or sticky. If dough is too dry and does not hold together, add a little more water.
Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disk; wrap with plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour before using.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out pate brisee to a 16-by-11-inch rectangle, trimming if necessary, and transfer to a large baking sheet. Prick dough all over with a fork.
Transfer to refrigerator; chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a rack set in the middle.

Pour applesauce onto center of dough; using an offset spatula, spread evenly over dough leaving a 1/2-inch border all around.
Arrange apples on top of applesauce in three tight rows down the length of the dough, using 2 apples per row.
Brush with melted butter and dust heavily with confectioners' sugar.

Bake, rotating the baking sheet two-thirds of the way through the baking time, until golden brown, about 50 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack.

Meanwhile, heat jam in a small saucepan over low heat until warm; strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Brush jam over warm pizza.
Using a pizza wheel, cut into squares and serve.