Description
Szarlotka, a traditional Polish apple pie, features a buttery crumbly crust housing a spiced apple filling. This classic dessert combines tart apples with cinnamon and sugar, baked to golden perfection, making it a comforting and delicious treat perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
Filling
- 4 cups peeled and sliced apples
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9-inch pie dish thoroughly to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal of the pie.
- Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cold cubed butter, granulated sugar, and egg. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the ingredients together until the mixture forms a crumbly dough texture.
- Form the crust base: Press half of the prepared dough evenly into the bottom of the greased pie dish, creating a solid and even crust layer.
- Prepare apple filling: In a separate bowl, combine the peeled and sliced apples with 1/2 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and lemon juice. Mix well to ensure the apples are thoroughly coated with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Fill the crust: Pour the apple filling evenly over the prepared crust in the pie dish, spreading the apples out for uniform coverage.
- Add crumble topping: Crumble the remaining half of the dough over the top of the apple filling to create a textured and rustic crumble topping.
- Bake the pie: Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown and the filling is bubbling, indicating the apples are cooked through.
- Cool and serve: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely before slicing to help the filling set and to make serving easier.
Notes
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith for a balanced sweet-tart flavor.
- Ensure the butter is cold to achieve a crumbly, flaky crust texture.
- Lemon juice helps prevent apples from browning and enhances flavor.
- Letting the pie cool fully is important for clean slicing.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for extra indulgence.
