To garnish the pie with candied peel, toss strips of apple peel with sugar and arrange on a parchement-lined-baking sheet. Heat oven to 400deg, turn off, and place baking sheet in oven overnight.

• Pate Brisee (recipe follows)
• 5 1/2 pounds firm, tart apples, such as Empire
  (merrr's note: we used 3 1/2 lbs of apples, and all the sugar for 2 9" pies)
• Juice of two lemons
• 1 cup sugar, plus
  1 Tablespoon for sprinkling
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brandy
  (merrrrr's note: we used Grand Marnier and couldn't taste the difference. we're convinved the "light the brandy" step is just for the pyro in each of us.)
• 1 egg yolk

1. Heat oven to 450deg. Place three quarters of the pate brisee on a floured work surface. Roll into an 1/8-inch-thick circle, dusting work surface with flour as necessary. Brush off excess flour and roll dough around rolling pin; lift it over a 12-inch, deep-dish pie pan. Line pan with dough, pressing it into the corners. Trim dough so that it hangs over pie pan by about 1/4 inch. Roll remaining quarter of the dough into a 10-inch-diameter circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate.
2. Peel and core apples, then cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. As you cut, place slices in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. Toss apple slices with cinnamon sugar.
3. Divide butter between 2 skillets and melt over medium-high heat. Divide apples between skillets and cook, stirring often, until sugar melts and apples are golden and coated in syrup but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Pour brandy into a measuring cup. Pout half of it into one skillet and ignite with a match. Cook until flames die down, shaking pan to toss apples in sugar and brandy. Repeat with remaining brandy and apples.
5. Transfer cooked apples to prepared pie pan, letting apples mound in center. (merrrr's note: we didn't want to pour all the yummy but very wet syrup into the pie so we cooked it down until it was getting thick. just enough so that when pushed aside in the pan, the liquid didn't immediately fill back in. then we added it to the pie.) Whisk egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water and brush on edge of dough. Remove rolled pie dough from refrigerator and center over apples. Tuck edges of top crust between pie pan and bottom crust. Gently press crusts together along edge with your fingers.
6. Cut several steam vents into crust. Brush surface with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar.
7. Bake pie until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350deg and bake another 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand about 30 minutes before serving.

Pate Brisee (accent marks omitted) MAKES ENOUGH FOR ONE 12-INCH DEEP DISH PIE

• 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 pound unsalted butter (3 sticks), cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup ice water

1. Place flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; process to combine. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 110 seconds. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup ice water in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube witht the machine running, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds. Test dough by squeezing a small abount together; if it is still crumbly, add a bit more water.
2. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Press into a flattened circle and wrap in the plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

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