I first got this recipe from some magazine or other in an article about a dinner planned by Julia Child. When I went online to check the source I found the exact same thing on the Food Network website by some other chef, so I guess it doesn’t belong to any one person. I have changed the assembly to make it easier, as I have very little patience with doing complicated things just for looks. It’s called “Gateau Mont St. Michel” because it’s supposed to be a “mountain” of crepes, apples and almond cream that’s then cut into wedges to serve. But that’s just too much work. So here’s my version, which I have titled:
Apple/Almond Lasagna
There is no question that this recipe is a lot of work. It's definitely a special-occasion dessert and it's also very unusual. I really, really like it, and it's not terribly sweet. My best estimate of the sugar content for a serving of 1/12 of the recipe is 5 teaspoons or 25 grams, which would equal the daily limit of 100 grams of added sugar. The dish can be prepared ahead, and each step can be prepared separately.
Ingredients
Crepes:
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup each milk and water
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/8 tsp . salt
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 tablespoons orange liquer rum, cognac, or orange juice (I just use the orange juice)
Burnt-Almond Cream (that's what the recipe calls this, but really, you don't want to burn the almonds! Just toast them.):
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cups toasted almonds ground with the sugar in a food processor.
- 1 stick butter at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp . almond extract
- 1/2 tsp . vanilla
- 3 tablespoons dark rum optional
- Pinch salt
The apples:
- 12 large apples such as Golden Delicious or Granny Smith (I use Granny Smith)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
Cooking the crepes:
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Cook crepes using 2-3 batter for each. Since you don' have to worry too much about getting them all the same size or shape you can just make them on your big griddle that you use for regular pancakes. They can be made ahead, stacked together, and put in a plastic bag.
Preparing the Burnt-Almond Cream:
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The original recipe says to use blanched almonds, and it would be easier to see how toasted they are without the skins, but I always end up using the whole natural almonds that I have on hand from Costco. More fiber that way! Toast the almonds spread out on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for 5-10 minutes. Watch them carefully and take them out as soon as you start smelling them. Let them cool before you grind them up. Grinding them with the sugar keeps them from turning into almond butter.
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Once you've ground together the almonds and sugar, add the rest of the ingredients and process until well combined. It'll be kind of thick and gloppy.
Preparing the apples:
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Slice the apples and spread them in a buttered jelly-roll or roasting pan. Bake for 20 minutes or so in a 400-degree oven, tossing up several times, until tender. The original recipe says to peel the apples but I don't think that's necessary.
Assembling and baking the gateau:
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Spray a 9x12 glass baking pan with cooking spray and then make layers of crepes, apples and almond cream, starting with crepes and then going from there. You're supposed to end with apples, but it doesn't really matter. This can be completely assembled ahead of time and refrigerated. Try to plan things so that you can take it out of the fridge an hour ahead of time and it won't be icy cold when you put it in the oven. If you do that, then it only needs about half an hour at 350 degrees. Not a bad idea to use your trusty instant-read thermometer to test the middle and make sure it reads 160.
Recipe Notes
It works well to shove this into the oven when you start dinner and let it bake while you're eating, and then you can serve it hot, but warm or room temp is fine, too. I wouldn't serve it cold. Heavy cream poured over it is nice but not necessary.
