Description
Szarlotka, a classic Polish apple pie, features a tender buttery crust topped with a spiced apple filling and finished with a crumbly streusel topping. This delightful dessert combines sweet apples, cinnamon, and lemon juice wrapped in a flaky dough, baked to golden perfection. Perfect for cozy gatherings or any time you crave a comforting slice of homemade apple pie.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 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 to prevent sticking.
- 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 a crumbly dough forms.
- Form the Crust: Press half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pie dish to create the base crust.
- Prepare the Apple Filling: In another bowl, mix the peeled and sliced apples with 1/2 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir until the apples are well coated.
- Assemble the Pie: Pour the apple filling evenly over the crust in the pie dish.
- Add Crumble Topping: Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the apples to form a crumbly topping layer.
- Bake the Pie: Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing and serving to let the filling set properly.
Notes
- For best results, use tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for a balanced sweet-tart flavor.
- Ensure butter is cold to achieve a flaky, crumbly crust.
- Let the pie cool fully to avoid runny filling when cutting.
- You can add a pinch of nutmeg to the filling for extra warmth and spice.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a delightful treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Polish
