French apple pie recipe with brandy and vanilla cream

This rustic tart is inspired by the focaccia pastries of southwestern France, specifically pastis gascon, which involves baking paper-thin layers of dough buttered and wrapped around fruit, then baked to an extremely crispy shape.

Traditionally the filling consists of just apples, sugar and armagnac, the region’s brandy, and while there’s a nice restraint at that, I can’t resist adding a handful of raisins for sweetness and texture. Armagnac is still my first choice, but any good brandy works, as does dark rum.

The spirit of the dish remains the same: crumpled, golden pastry gives way to lightly spiced, fragrant apples. Serve hot with low sugar vanilla cream.