Preparation / Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Using half the butter, heavily coat the bottom and sides of a 10-by-3-inch round cake pan.
3. Arrange apples in a pan in a continuous circle (starting at the edge of the pan) piling one top of the other — the first row of apples with rounded side down, the remaining rows with rounded side up. Sprinkle top with 1 cup sugar and dot with remaining butter.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake 1 hour longer, or until apples are soft and brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
5. While apples are baking, prepare the crust. Roll out enough puff pastry to form a 12-inch square 1/8-inch thick and place it on a buttered cookie sheet. Cut out a circle a bit larger than the 10-inch apple baking pan (a large plate can be used to form the circle). With tines of two forks, prick pastry over the entire surface to prevent curling during baking. Bake in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool.
6. To assemble: Set pastry shell on a serving dish and place it upside down over the apples. Invert pan. Apples are now on top of shell. Heat the bottom of an old frying pan until very hot (about 15 minutes). Sprinkle sugar liberally over the surface of the apples and sear with the hot pan to glaze apples. Repeat this procedure three or four times, keeping the pan hot when not in use.
Presentation: Cut into wedges and serve warm with whipped cream.
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