Szarlotka (Polish Apple Pie)
This will be The BEST apple pie you will ever make! Soft base, tart sweetness of apples mixed with cinnamon. It’s like eating a cloud. Seriously.
When my mum would ask me what kind of cake would I like her to make me for birthday or Xmas I would always say “apple pie”. Who needs a cake when you can have this pie? You will agree with me once you try it. We can simply say it have a special place in my heart and I will always try my best to make everyone else fall in love with it as well. It’s just the way it goes with me. You don’t like my mum’s apple pie we cannot be friends. Joking…or am I?
I am gladly coming to you with this recipe after few of my own attempts of a perfect bake. There is no fear it’s always coming out great! But I can guide you to perfection.
Szarlotka (Polish apple pie)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup plain flour
- 0.5 cup potato starch
- 4 large eggs (separate withes from yolks)
- 1 cup sugar
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 medium bramley apples
- 3 medium pink lady apples
- Cinnamon
- Powder sugar
Instructions
- First, we will make our pastry. I highly recommend to make the pastry at least one day ahead so it has enough chilling time. Prepare a large bowl. Put flour, potato starch, sugar, baking powder, egg yolks and butter cut in cubes. Use your hands and work with your fingers through until combined. If it’s getting too sticky, you can dust your hands with a bit of flour. Once you are done form it to a ball and cut off one third of the crust. Foil securely in cling film separately and place in freezer.
- Take a large part of your pastry out of the freezer and set aside for 3 to 4 hour or until it’s no longer hard like a rock.
- Peel your apples and slice into eights(quarters in half). Keep sweet apples separately from sour
- Prepare baking tray by greasing with butter ad dusting flour. I use 32×22, 5 cm deep.
- Preheat the oven to 180 without fan.
- Cut approx. 3 cm thick plaster of pastry and start rolling it thin up to 1/1.5cm on a large board lightly dusted with flour. Do it with light and slow motions. If your pastry is sticking to your rolling pin and the board, dust everything in a bit of flour. Try not to add too much J. Start placing your crust on to the bottom of baking tray. You also want to form a 2 or 2.5cm rim around the edges. Don’t worry it’s a patch work and it doesn’t need to be perfect. If you are using large pieces you will be done quick.
- Place apples tightly next to each other on to the pastry. Mix the apples by swapping the type by every other piece (sweet, sour, sweet and so on). If you have empty spaces you can always fill it up with a smaller piece. We want fruit in every bite J. Next dust the apples with cinnamon, use a fair amount.
- Beat your egg whites with 3 tbs of sugar(adding gradually while whisking) until stiff. Spread on top of the apples. Take the smaller part of your pastry out of the freezer and grate directly onto the pie by covering it all. You want the top layer to be max 2cm thick.
- Place in the preheated oven for 40min. If the top becomes golden brown before the end of baking, cover your tray with baking paper or aluminium foil so it won’t start burning.
- Once baked let it cool down then dust with icing sugar.