I am home sick. Although I am living away from my family for the last thirteen years, I still get home sick. To brighten up mood I decided to bake what my mam used to make almost every Saturday morning.
Szarlotka is polish name for apple pie. It is a little different to the classic version as it has meringue layer on top of apples. It is divine when still warm! Of course I am going to say that my mam makes the best szarlotka, but at least I had a good teacher:)
Szarlotka - polish apple pie
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 150 g unsalted butter cold
- 250 g plain flour
- pinch of salt
- 100 g icing sugar or caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 egg yolks reserve egg whites for meringue
For the apple filling
- 1 kg cooking apples I used Bramley
- 2 tbsp brown sugar or to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or essence, optional
For the meringue
- 3 egg whites
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
Instructions
To make a pastry
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Chop the butter with the flour and mix with a fork. Add salt, sugar and baking powder and mix little more.
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Add the yolks and mix roughly only until all ingredients are incorporated and start forming a dough. Do not over mix it or the pastry will become tough. Cover dough ball in a cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour.
To make apple filling
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Peel and roughly chop the apples. Mix with the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and slowly heat up in a pan. If you think the apples are sticking to the bottom, add a little bit of water.
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Continue stewing and stirring every minute until all apples fall apart. Leave aside to cool down.
To make meringue
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Whisk the egg whites with salt until stiff. Slowly add the sugar and whisk until glossy.
To bake
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Preheat the oven to 180C (fan assisted) and prepare 26cm cake tin (square tin is perfect too).
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Press about 3/4 of the cold pastry on the bottom of the tin. Prick with the fork on the whole surface. If the apples are too wet, sprinkle some breadcrumbs on the pastry to prevent it going soggy.
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Layer the apples. You can sprinkle more cinnamon if you like.
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Layer the meringue. Grate the rest of the pastry on top of meringue.
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Bake for at least 45-50 min until top is golden. If the top is becoming too dark, cover it with the tin foil and continue to bake until the cake is done.
Go on, I know you want to eat it…
Can this be reheated if I make it a day ahead?