Apple & fennel pandowdy

Yield: 10 Servings

Ingredients:

5 lg Apples
1 1/2 c Fennel bulb
2 tb Lemon juice
1/2 c Honey
1/2 c Apple cider
1 1/2 tb Sambuca (anise liqueur)
1/4 ts Nutmeg
1/2 ts Ground allspice
1/4 ts Salt MMMMM--------------------------TOPPING-------------------------------
2 ts Sugar
12 Hazelnuts
1 3/4 c Flour
1/2 ts Salt
2 oz Cold shortening
3 oz Cold unsalted butter
4 tb Ice water

Instructions:

Peel and core apples and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Dice fennel. Toast and peel hazelnuts. Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces. Combine apples fennel lemon juice honey cider sambuca nutmeg allspice and salt in a bowl; toss gently to combine. Cover and set aside. Topping: Combine sugar nuts flour and salt in a processor. Pulse until nuts are finely ground. Add shortening and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time pulsing briefly after each addition. Continue adding water until mixture holds together when pinched between your fingers. Do not overmix or the dough will be tough. Pat into a disc wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon the apple mixture into a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 9 x 13-inch rectangle; gently lay the dough over the fruit tucking in the edges. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and using a spoon or spatula break crust into 3- or 4-inch irregular squares. Press pieces into the apples dowdying the appearance of the dish. Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes until well browned. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Source: The San Francisco Chronicle November 22 1995