Baked apples under a shortcrust pastry lid

Ingredients:

• 4 apples, such as Pippin, Mutsu, or Braeburn, plus 1 more if needed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. premium flour
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 layer of chilled shortcrust pastry for pie, purchased (half a package weighing 400 grams)
• 1 beaten egg

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Cut the tops of four apples by 1 cm. Using a spoon, scoop out the apple flesh, leaving a 0.5 cm thick wall. Remove the core and seeds and discard.
3. Coarsely chop the apple pulp and place it in a medium bowl; you should have at least 1.5 cups. If you don't have enough, peel and core another apple, dice it, and add it to the bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss to coat. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the bowl and toss to combine. Spread the filling over the apples.
4. Roll out the pie dough and cut into 0.5 cm wide strips. Lightly brush the top edge of each apple with beaten egg. Place the dough strips in a lattice pattern on top of each apple, moistening them with egg yolk. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with egg.
5. Place the apples in a 20x20 cm baking dish. Fill the bottom with 2.5 cm of water. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the foil and bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling, another 25 minutes. Transfer the apples to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before serving.
   
   Decoration
   
   Instead of a lattice, you can cut a circle of shortcrust pastry 2 cm in diameter larger than the top of each apple and make slits in it to allow steam to escape. Brush the edges of the apples with egg wash and carefully cover with the pastry, pressing the edges with a fork to ensure it adheres.