Preparation

1. Prepare and chill one batch of Pâte Feuilletée.
2. Cook a batch of apple pie filling.
3. If the apples you’re using produces watery pie filling, put the filling in a strainer to drain for 30 minutes.

Directions

1. Roll out dough.
   Cut the rectangle of puff pastry dough in half and return half to the refrigerator. Flour a working surface and the top of the dough, then roll it out into a square slightly larger than the pie pan, about 3mm (a bit more than one-eighth-inch) thick.
2. Push into pie pan.
   Dust excess flour off the dough and lay it into the pie pan. Use your fingers to push it flush into the shape of the pie pan, then trim to the edge of the pan, leaving a little extra overhang. Use a fork to prick the bottom surface of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap or put in a sealed plastic bag and return to the refrigerator to chill for an hour; keeping the crust cold until just before baking keeps it from shrinking. Also wrap the trimmings in plastic wrap and refrigerate for later use.
3. Blind bake crust.
   Bake the empty crust at 200°C (400°F) for 12 minutes; do not use pie weights. Remove from oven and use the back of a spoon to gently flatten the bottom, pushing down any bulges that formed.
4. Roll out remaining dough.
   While the crust cools remove the remaining half of the dough from the refrigerator and use the floured working surface and pin to roll it into a square a little larger than the top of the pie pan. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator to chill for 10-15 minutes.
5. Fill and top pie.
   Mix cinnamon to taste into the pie filling. Fill the baked crust with pie filling. Lightly scramble the egg, then brush it onto the exposed outside rim of the crust; this will act as glue to bond the top and bottom crusts. Top with the chilled pastry sheet and trim excess from the outside edge. Gently press around the outside edge to get the upper crust to stick to the egg.
6. Make decorations with crust trimmings.
   Arrange the crust trimmings together and roll them into a small sheet the same thickness as the crusts. Make enough 2cm (¾") strips to ring the outside edge of the pie with. Use a knife to cut six little apple shapes out of the remaining dough.
7. Decorate.
   Brush the entire top surface of the pie with egg. Lay the strips of decoration around the outside edge to make a lip, then press down lightly to bond them in place. Cut a small vent hole in the center of the top crust, then make six evenly-spaced vent slits halfway between the hole and outside edge. Gently press the six apple cutouts between the slits for decoration. Finally, brush the top of the outside ring and apples with egg; be careful not to get egg on the edges of the small apples and ring, or they won’t puff up properly.
8. Bake.
   Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 40 minutes, until it begins to brown. Reduce temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for another 15-20 minutes. If it looks like the outside edge is going to burn, cover it with foil or pie shields. Remove from oven when puffed up and nicely browned and cool in the pan on a rack.
9. Coat with jam.
   While the pie is still hot, microwave the apricot jam in a small bowl until it just begins boiling. Use a brush to paint the top of the pie with it, which will give it a nice shiny finish.