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1
Place the diced apple cubes in a wide frying pan with the butter and sugar. Sauté over high heat, tossing frequently, until the edges of the cubes are caramelised and golden but the pieces still hold their shape — this is not applesauce but a compote with distinct, intact pieces. Remove from heat; add the lemon juice, scraped vanilla, and Calvados if using. Spread onto a tray and cool completely. The filling is ready when it is cold to the touch and no steam rises.
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2
Roll the pâte feuilletée to 3 mm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a plate or pastry ring as a guide, cut four circles of 15–18 cm diameter. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. The pastry is ready when the circles are even in thickness and the edges are clean-cut.
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3
Place a generous spoonful of the cold apple compote on one half of each pastry circle, leaving a clear 2 cm border. Moisten the border with water. Fold the unfilled half over to form a half-moon and press the edges firmly together. Crimp the seal by pressing with the tines of a fork, or make small overlapping folds (repère) for a scalloped edge. This is where the dish lives or dies: an insufficient seal will cause the chausson to burst open in the oven, spilling the filling and collapsing the layers. The seal is sound when it holds firm pressure without gaps.
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4
Refrigerate the assembled chaussons for 20 minutes. This firms the butter in the pastry and is essential for an even, regular puff. They are ready to proceed when they feel cold and firm to a light press.
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5
Brush each chausson evenly with beaten egg wash. Using the tip of a paring knife, score a series of curved lines radiating from the centre toward the edges in a leaf-vein or sunburst pattern — cutting through the egg wash and the very surface of the pastry only, not through to the filling. The scoring is correct when the lines are visible and clean but the pastry beneath remains intact.
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6
Bake at 200–210 °C for 18–22 minutes. The chausson is done when the pastry is deeply golden across its full surface, magnificently puffed, and the scored pattern has opened and separated into distinct layers. A hollow sound on the underside when tapped confirms the base is baked through.
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7
Upon exit from the oven, apply a light apricot glaze with a pastry brush, or dust with icing sugar. Serve while still warm. The pastry is at its peak when it shatters at the first pressure of a finger.