Polish Apple Pie (Szarlotka)
Directions
- 1In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- 2Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- 3Add the egg yolks and mix until a dough forms, adding milk if needed to bring it together.
- 4Press the dough evenly into a greased and floured 9x13" pan to form the base.
- 5Pre-bake the dough at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until lightly set.
- 6Peel, core, and grate apples and strain out some of the extra juice.
- 7Mix with sugar and cinnamon.
- 8Spread evenly over the dough.
- 9Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- 10Gradually add sugar until stiff and glossy.
- 11Gently fold in potato/corn starch.
- 12Spread meringue over the apple layer.
- 13Make the crumble by combining flour, sugar, butter, and optional vanilla sugar or extract.
- 14Spread the crumble mixture over the meringue layer.
- 15Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 16Bake for 50-60 minutes, until crumble is golden and meringue is set.
- 17Cool completely before slicing.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 cup sugar
- 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 egg yolks (save the whites for the topping)
- 1 Tbsp cold milk (if needed)
- Pinch of salt
- 8 medium apples (McIntosh, Cortland, or Honeycrisp), peeled & grated
- 0.25 cup sugar (adjust for apple sweetness)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 egg whites (from the yolks used in the dough)
- 0.5 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch (stabilizes meringue)
- 1 cup flour
- 0.25 cup sugar
- 0.5 stick butter, cold and cubed
- 1 tsp packet vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
Equipment
Large bowl9x13" panOven