FOOD : The French Confection : Jacques Pepin Delivers Another Cookbook and a Tasty Apple Crunch

JACQUES PEPIN has dropped the other shoe; the second half of his new two-volume cookbook series is in print. The widely known French chef, cooking teacher and cookbook author calls the tome “Jacques Pepin’s the Art of Cooking,” (Knopf: $39.95). Although it’s devoted primarily to baked goods, it includes a number of recipes for cold charcuterie , salads and condiments. (The first volume was filled mostly with recipes for soups, eggs, poultry, fish and meats.) Like his other books, this one contains how-to photographs and techniques to benefit highly skilled cooks and humble beginners.

In the introduction, Pepin says that baking is a form of cooking that “is the most structured, lending itself to rigid formulas rather than improvisation. If an ingredient is inadvertently omitted from a cake formula, there is no way to rescue the cake while it is baking.”

Of the following recipe, the author says: “An open-faced tart is the quintessential French dessert, found in the smallest restaurants as well as three-star establishments; it is part of the repertoire of the home cook as well as the professional chef.

“My version is a combination of a French apple tart and American apple pie. There is dough on the bottom and top, and the apples are flavored with butter and sugar in the French style. Cinnamon, mace, nutmeg and other seasonings can be added, if desired.”

APPLE CRUNCH 2 cups unbleached flour, chilled 3/4 cup cold butter teaspoon salt Sugar 1/2 cup ice water 1 1/2 pounds large Rome Beauty apples (about 4 to 5 apples, peeled, halved and cored) 2 1/2 tablespoons butter Egg wash: 1 egg--minus half its white--beaten with few drops water

Place flour in bowl of mixer. Cut butter into slivers and add along with salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. Using speed 3 or 4 of mixer, mix about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Pieces of butter should still be visible. Add water and mix another 20 seconds or so, until mixture just holds together. Divide dough in half, and place each piece on sheet of plastic wrap. Cover each half with second piece of plastic wrap, and flatten each piece of dough with palm of hand. Roll dough out with rolling pin between plastic-wrap pieces so that they will cool faster. Traces of butter should still be visible throughout dough. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap and place dough on floured board. Roll one piece of dough to 1/8-inch thickness into oval about 17 to 18 inches long and 13 inches wide. Roll outward from center in all directions. Going back and forth over dough with rolling pin tends to toughen it. Use a little flour to help rolling. Roll dough back on rolling pin and unroll onto large cookie sheet.

Cut apples into thin slices; then cut slices in halves or thirds and arrange on rolled pastry to within about 1 inch of edge.

Fold edge of pastry back onto apples, making sure no holes are around sides of pastry. If there are, patch with piece of dough. Dot top with 2 1/2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar over apples. Brush edge of dough with water.

Using flour, roll remaining piece of dough until 1/8-inch thick and same size as bottom layer. Roll dough back and forth onto rolling pin and unroll on top of apple-filled dough. Press around edge so top layer of dough adheres to bottom layer; trim any excess dough from top layer. Brush off top to get rid of any flour; then brush top with egg wash. Place pie in freezer 10 to 15 minutes to harden dough on top. Cut design on top. Holes are necessary to allow steam to escape. Cut long, curved stem with some leaves on sides and cutouts at end to indicate flowers. Dough, hardened in freezer, is easy to cut. Otherwise, it will be mushy.

Bake at 400 degrees 45 to 55 minutes or until crisp on top and bottom. If you detect leak while pie is cooking, lift gently, patch with piece of aluminum foil and continue baking.

Cut into thin wedges and serve by itself at room temperature or lukewarm. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Food styled by Norman Stewart; prop styling by Stacey Anne for A La Mode/L.A.