Chaussons aux Pommes—literally translated as "apple slippers"—are a delightful French pastry perfect for complementing a breakfast coffee or enjoyed during what the French call goûté, the snack moment between lunch and dinner. Like many French pastries, they originated centuries ago and carry with them a charming story. Not as distant as the times when chaussons aux pommes were first invented, my mornings in France sometimes began with these delightful pastries, making them a lovely memory for me. This morning, in honor of my yearning for French-inspired mornings, I decided to recreate them at home.
Chaussons aux Pommes – A Pastry with History
According to history, chaussons have enriched the lives of the French since the 16th century. More precisely, they are believed to have been invented in 1580 in Saint-Calais during a plague epidemic when the town was under quarantine. Survivors and those battling the plague, constrained to remain in the town, were given these chaussons aux pommes—apples wrapped in a type of dough. It is suspected that at that time, the dough was not the flaky kind we know today but rather a more rudimentary version. Since then, every first Sunday of September, there has been a celebration in the area to commemorate the townspeople's eventual victory over the plague, with chaussons aux pommes as the symbol of this festival.
How to Prepare Chaussons aux Pommes
Considering that, according to legend, chaussons aux pommes were invented during an epidemic, it's clear that their preparation had to be simple, requiring neither much time nor fancy ingredients. The locals used apples simply because that’s what they had available in the quarantined town. Nowadays, things have become even easier with puff pastry, which we can conveniently purchase.
Here’s what I used to make 5 chaussons aux pommes:
1 sheet of puff pastry
3 apples
60 g of sugar
50 g of butter
Nutmeg
Natural vanilla paste
Lemon juice
A mixture of beaten egg and milk
I started by peeling the apples and then cutting them into small cubes, which I sautéed in a heated pan with the butter and sugar. I grated a little nutmeg over them, added just enough natural vanilla paste to enhance the apple flavor, and then squeezed the juice of half a lemon, continuing to sauté until the apples softened.
From the puff pastry, I cut out 5 circles using a plate as a guide. On one half of each circle, I transferred a spoonful of the apple mixture, folded the other half of the pastry over the apples, and sealed the edges. I then brushed each chausson with the beaten egg and milk mixture and made a few fine slits on top to create a beautiful pattern after baking. I placed them in the oven at 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees F) for about 25 minutes. You can adjust the baking time to your preference, allowing them to bake until they are perfectly golden.
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