flaky pastry dough to cover an 8 x 8 inch baking dish
4 medium to large apples - Empire or Gravenstein, Gala or Russet ( 2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup maple syrup, molasses, packed brown sugar, or white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch or 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
heavy cream, softly whipped cream or vanilla yogurt

Directions:
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Have ready an unbuttered 8 x 8 inch baking dish.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10 inch square, 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Peel, halve and core apples. Place the apples cut side down on a cutting board and slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Combine the apples with the maple syrup, molasses, packed brown sugar or white sugar; cornstarch or all purpose flour; cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and allspice. Spread the apple mixture evenly in the baking pan. Dot with the butter.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand for a few minutes, until pliable. Fold the dough in half and unfold over the top of the apples, covering them.

Trim the dough around the pan, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Fold the edges of the dough under to fit inside the dish and press the dough gently against the apples (around the edge only).

Bake until the top has browned lightly, about 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven to a level area. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. With a knife, score the crust as you would a pan of brownies, into 2 inch squares. Baste the crust squares by tilting the pan all around and spooning some of the apple juices over the squares, basting the middle squares as well.

You can also submerge the squares in the juices with the back of a spoon. Do not worry about crushing or tearing the crust, for doing this is part of the character of the dish. (The crust will also sink slightly into the juices while cooking.)

Return the dish to the oven and bake until the apples are tender when pierced with a skewer, the filling has thickened slightly, and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes more.

Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm in deep bowls with the heavy cream, softly whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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