Free Form Apple Pie

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water, tossing with a fork, until pastry holds together. Shape pastry into a ball: flatten into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Increase heat to high; add sugar and brandy. Stir in apples; cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring apples twice. Uncover; add raisins and cook apples, stirring, until tender and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes more. Cool apples completely. Stir in nuts. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 14-inch circle. Transfer pastry to a large cookie sheet. Arrange apples on pastry, leaving a 2- to 2 1/2-inch border around the edge. Fold edge of pastry over apples. (The pie should be about 9 inches in diameter.) Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F, and bake 30 minutes more, until crust is golden brown. Melt preserves in small saucepan over medium heat. Strain preserves through a sieve into a cup; drizzle over filling. Cool on a cookie sheet. Transfer to serving platter when cool. Serve pie warm. Makes 6 to 8 servings.