Happy Pi Day!

{this mini pi went great with my morning tea}

When the thought of creating a food & crafts blog first entered my mind, I was making this apple tart and I figured it would be a great first post as it was my inspiration! My first attempt was actually a squarish version, but when I corrected a friend that it was a tart and not a pie - it hit me.

Pi. Apple pi. 

For some reason, I found this incredibly amusing (and quite clever!) that I decided to create a pi-shaped apple concoction. Then the idea to debut my blog on Pi Day came about and, thus, Apple Pi in the Sky was born. Anywhoozie, I'm gonna stop talking and get to the recipe for this baby.

French Apple Tart - 

Ingredients

Puff Pastry (can be store-bought, but I used this recipe)
2 large Granny Smith apples
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp orange juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the thawed puff pastry and deeply score a dashed 1 cm-thick perimeter with a butter knife. I usually stick my knife all the way down, make a 1-2 inch cut, and leave a cm in between. The finished product should look like a frame with a perforated line. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Slice the apples. I used a mandolin with the 1/8" slicer, but feel free to go thicker if you prefer. You may need to add an apple if you do this. Carefully staying within the dashed line, arrange the apple slices in whatever you pattern you like.
3. Put in oven and bake for 10 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Add maple syrup, lemon juice, and orange juice. Mix thoroughly.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg.
6. Remove tart from oven and lightly brush cinnamon syrup mixture on top of apples only. Then brush beaten egg on perimeter of puff pastry. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until pastry turns a deep golden brown. Let cool on rack. 

Tips: If you decided to make your own, great! The only thing with the recipe I posted is that I subbed the AP flour with pastry flour. You will only need about half of what it yields, so freeze the rest or double the apple recipe. Also, make sure you have plenty of time on your hands as it takes approximately 3 days to make. I know, I know. It's a long, laborious process, but is soooo worth it in the end. Trust me. Your stomach will thank me.

{the mega pi}