Szarlotka Polish Apple Pie Food

CLASSIC SZARLOTKA: POLISH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For my szarlotka I used a deep rectangular baking tray (18x27 cm / 7x10 inch), but any shape will do just fine.
• Take out the butter for half an hour in advance to let it soften.
• Knead together all the ingredients (flour, icing sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla sugar), form a smooth mass, wrap into cling film and place in the fridge.
• Wash the apples, peel them and then grate or cube them. I've done the latter.
• Move the apple pieces to a pot. Cover in sugar and start cooking until soft. Add cinnamon mid-way through.
• Grease the baking tray and/or line it with baking paper. Roll out half of the dough and place in the tray. Pierce with a fork.
• Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F), bake the shortcrust base for 5-10 minutes until it starts to gain some colour.
• Remove from the oven. Spread apples on top. Roll the remaining dough and use it on top to cover the apples. Bake for 1 hour in 140-160°C (280-320°F).
• Serve cooled or warm with some whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream, with some icing sugar sprinkled on top.

SZARLOTKA (POLISH APPLE PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the butter, using a pastry blender or a fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until the mixture is evenly moist.
• Add the milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing with your hands after each addition until a firm but slightly sticky dough forms. (Add extra milk if necessary.)
• Turn the dough onto the counter and knead a few times, quickly (it may stick to the counter a bit) to finish bringing the dough together.
• Divide the dough into two pieces, roughly 2/3 and 1/3 of the dough. Wrap the smaller section in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes, while you continue working. Press the larger section into a greased 9" spring form pan.
• Bake the bottom crust in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until it is puffy and starting to turn golden around the edges. When the crust is done, remove it from the oven to a cooling rack.
• While the bottom crust is baking, mix the apples and cinnamon in a large sauté pan or large pot. Heat the apples over medium-high heat and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until the apples soften slightly and the mixture becomes fragrant. Remove the mixture from the heat.
• Spread the warm filling over the warm crust. (It will look like you have A LOT of apples. Don't worry; they cook down.)
• Take the last 1/3 of the crust out of the freezer and grate it over the apple filling using a cheese grater (or crumble it over top of the apples using your fingers).
• Place an aluminum foil lined baking sheet in the oven on the rack below where the pie will go, to catch any dripping from the spring form pan.
• Return the pie to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden.
• Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
• Once the pie is cool it can be served or covered lightly with plastic wrap and left on the counter overnight, to be served the following day. (This pie is great when made a day ahead of time, because the flavors develop and the crust softens overnight.)

POLISH APPLE CAKE (SZARLOTKA)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 20 x 29cm baking tray with baking parchment.
• For the filling, zest the lemon half and leave aside for the dough. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples, then squeeze over the juice of the lemon to stop the fruit turning brown. Put the apples in a large pan and add the sugar, 200ml water and cinnamon. Cook for 5 mins, then remove from the heat and leave to cool in the liquid (you'll need this later).
• To make the dough, put the flour and baking powder in a food processor or into a large bowl and pulse or stir to combine. Add the butter and mix again until the mixture is sandy. Add the sugar, egg yolks and egg, yogurt, lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix into a dough. Tip it out onto a floured surface. Bring it together with your hands and roll it into a ball.
• Split the dough in half, wrap one half in cling film and freeze for 1 hr. Roll out the other dough half so that it is big enough to fill the bottom of the lined tray. With the palm of your hand, push the dough about halfway up the sides of the tray until the whole base is covered. Prick the dough with a fork and bake in the oven for about 15 mins until it is golden and lightly springy to the touch.
• Spoon over the apple filling, with about half the cooking liquid, then set aside.
• Remove the dough from the freezer and coarsely grate, as you would a block of cheese. Sprinkle the grated dough over the apples and bake for 40-45 mins until it is golden and the topping has cooked through. Leave to cool completely, dust with icing sugar, then cut into squares. Whip the cream until thick, stir in the cinnamon and serve alongside the cake.