Description
Szarlotka is a traditional Polish apple pie featuring a buttery, crumbly crust and a fragrant cinnamon-spiced apple filling. This delightful dessert is easy to make and perfectly balances sweet and tart flavors, making it an irresistible treat for family gatherings or cozy autumn evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Topping
- 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 (about 4 medium apples)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9-inch pie dish to ensure the pie doesn’t stick.
- Make Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cold cubed butter, granulated sugar, and egg. Work the ingredients together using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the dough reaches a crumbly texture, resembling coarse crumbs.
- Form Base Crust: Press half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pie dish, forming the base of the crust.
- Prepare Filling: In another bowl, mix the peeled and sliced apples with 1/2 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir well to coat the apples evenly with the mixture.
- Assemble Pie: Pour the apple filling into the pie crust, spreading the apples evenly across the surface.
- Add Topping: Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the top of the apples to create a crumbly topping layer.
- Bake: Place the pie in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling through.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving to let the filling set beautifully.
Notes
- Use tart apples such as Granny Smith for the best balance of flavor and texture.
- Chilling the dough before use can help achieve a flakier crust.
- For a richer flavor, sprinkle a pinch of ground nutmeg into the apple mixture.
- This pie can be enjoyed warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cold as is.
- Store leftover pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
