8 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick (about 8 large apples)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pastry Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 phyllo pastry sheets, thawed if frozen
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
To make filling: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the apples in a 2- to 21/2-quart baking dish. (An 8- or 9-inch square baking dish or a 91/2- to 10-inch pie pan works well.) Mix in the sugar, melted butter and lemon juice. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring once. Stir in cinnamon. Let cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes. To make topping: Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Stack the phyllo sheets and, using the rim of the baking container as a guide, use a sharp knife or scissors to cut 6 pieces. Discard the scraps. Cover the stack of phyllo with a clean, damp dish towel.
Press 1 piece of phyllo pastry gently over the apples. Brush lightly with melted butter; sprinkle evenly with about 2 teaspoons cinnamon-sugar. Repeat the layering with the remaining sheets of phyllo, ending with the melted butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar.
