Traditional apple pie on shortcrust pastry with meringue topping - photo 1
← Recipes

Traditional apple pie on shortcrust pastry with meringue topping

Cakes and Bakes Desserts 150 min Medium 6 wyświetleń ~49.32 PLN - (0)
Rate:
(0)
Start Cooking

Description

Classic winter apple pie on a buttery shortcrust pastry, filled with aromatic, slightly sautéed apples and topped with a fluffy, lightly browned meringue. This traditional Polish cake combines a crunchy, buttery base and sides with a delicate, cinnamon apple filling and a sweet, glossy foam that creates a special effect when served. The apple pie tastes best slightly warm or at room temperature, served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. It looks elegant at family gatherings and winter get-togethers, and thanks to the classic combination of flavors, it will delight both guests and family members.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (14)

Servings:
8
  • Wheat flour 350 g
  • Butter 220 g
  • Powdered sugar 80 g
  • Egg 4 szt.
  • Baking powder 5 g
  • Apples 1200 g
  • Brown sugar 80 g
  • Breadcrumbs 40 g
  • Sugar (for meringue) 180 g
  • Lemon juice 15 ml
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt
  • Cinnamon 2 g
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Vanilla extract 5 g
  • Almond flakes 30 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~49.32 PLN (6.17 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Shortcrust pastry

1

Prepare the ingredients and tools: a large bowl, a grater (optionally a food processor with a dough blade), a pastry board or rolling mat, a rolling pin, baking paper, plastic wrap, and a 24 cm diameter baking pan (a springform pan or a round tart pan). Take the butter out of the fridge a moment before cutting — it should be very cold. Sift 350 g of flour into a large bowl, add 80 g of powdered sugar, 5 g of baking powder, and 2 g of salt. Mix the dry ingredients evenly with a spoon.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Powdered sugar, Baking powder, Salt
Use a bowl with a capacity of at least 3 liters. If you have a food processor with a dough blade, you can use it to quickly combine the butter with the flour. If not, do this step by hand quickly to prevent the butter from warming up.
2

Cut the cold butter (220 g) into small cubes (about 1 cm) and add it to the dry ingredients. Rub the butter with your fingers or use a pastry knife/food processor briefly, until the mixture takes on the texture of coarse sand with visible pieces of butter the size of peas. Do not rub it into a uniform mass — small pieces of butter create flakiness after baking.

Ingredients: Butter, Wheat flour
Use cold butter and work quickly — the heat from your hands can melt the butter. If you are doing this by hand, keep your fingers loose and rub the butter with your fingertips, not your palms.
3

Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture and pour in 60 g of egg (1 whole egg). Quickly mix the center part with a fork or spatula, then press the rest of the ingredients together with your hand until the mixture starts to come together. Do not knead for too long — if the mixture is dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of cold water (max 30 g). When the dough just starts to come together, form a flat disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes (optimally 60 minutes). The dough is ready to chill when it can be rolled out without excessive sticking.

Ingredients: Egg, Wheat flour, Butter
Use a wooden or silicone spatula for initial mixing. If you don't have a scale, add water very sparingly — the dough should be firm but not sticky. Chilling is key for a flaky texture.

Filling

4

Prepare the apples: peel 1200 g of apples, remove the cores, and slice them into pieces about 1 cm thick. Immediately transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with 15 g of lemon juice to prevent browning. Add 80 g of brown sugar and 2 g of cinnamon, and gently mix to coat the slices evenly.

Ingredients: Apples, Lemon juice, Brown sugar, Cinnamon
Use a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. If the apples are very juicy, you can drain some of the juice — you will also remove excess juice by sautéing.
5

In a medium skillet, melt 20 g of butter (taken from 220 g; use the general portion of the butter) over medium heat. Add the browned apple slices and sauté for 5-7 minutes, gently stirring — the apples should soften and release some juice, but retain their shape (they should not fall apart completely). After removing from heat, add 40 g of breadcrumbs and mix — the breadcrumbs will absorb the excess juice. Set aside to cool.

Ingredients: Apples, Butter, Breadcrumbs, Brown sugar
The best pan is 24-26 cm in diameter with a thick bottom. Do not press the apples with a spatula — leave them space to let the juice evaporate. If the foam becomes too thick, do not add more fat — breadcrumbs will do their job.

Shaping and baking

6

Preheat the oven to 180°C (top-bottom; for convection, set to 160°C). Take out 2/3 of the chilled shortcrust pastry (about 233 g) — divide the disk into 2 parts: a larger one for the bottom and a smaller one for the top. Roll out the larger part between two sheets of baking paper to about 3-4 mm thick to a diameter slightly larger than a 24 cm pan. Transfer it along with the paper to the pan and gently press it into the bottom and sides, forming an even layer. Use a fork to prick the bottom several times to allow steam to escape. Evenly sprinkle 40 g of breadcrumbs on the bottom (if breadcrumbs have already been added to the apples, you can skip this portion; the breadcrumbs on the bottom will prevent it from becoming soggy).

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Breadcrumbs, Butter, Egg
If the dough sticks while rolling, lightly dust the paper or rolling pin with flour. It's best to line the pan with a collar of baking paper for easier removal. Don't trim the sides too thin — a thickness of about 3-4 mm ensures proper stability.
7

Evenly spread the cooled apple filling on the prepared base. Roll out the remaining dough into a thin layer and place it as a whole cover — make several slits with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape — or form a lattice with strips of dough (decorative option). If you are using a whole cover, pinch the edges tightly with your fingers, removing any excess dough. Leave a little space in the center of the dough for the meringue, which will be portioned later.

Ingredients: Apples, Wheat flour, Butter
Use a pastry cutter or pizza wheel to form the lattice, rolling the strips to a width of 8-10 mm. Make sure the edges are sealed so that the juices do not leak out during baking.
8

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes at 180°C until the cake turns golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, reduce the temperature to 160°C (if you plan to brown the meringue for a longer time) or set the grill function (top heating element) for a quick browning of the meringue later.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Apples
The oven should be preheated well in advance. If the filling is very moist, bake for an additional 5 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the baking time if the oven heats unevenly.

Meringue

9

Prepare the meringue while the apple pie is baking: separate the egg whites from the yolks very carefully — in a bowl (preferably metal or glass) place 180 g of egg whites (3 egg whites, the remaining yolks were used for the dough). Make sure the bowl and the mixer attachments are dry and degreased (wipe them with vinegar or lemon juice if necessary). Start beating the egg whites on medium speed until they begin to form soft peaks (about 1-2 minutes). Then gradually add 180 g of sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat, until the mixture becomes thick, glossy, and forms very stiff, shiny peaks (check by turning the bowl upside down — the mixture should not move). If using, add 5 g of vanilla extract at the end of beating and mix briefly.

Ingredients: Egg, Sugar (for meringue), Vanilla extract
Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. It's best to separate the eggs over a separate small bowl — if the egg whites get contaminated with yolk, start the separation again with another egg. Egg whites whip best at room temperature (take them out 15-20 minutes before whipping).

Finishing and browning the meringue

10

Remove the pre-baked apple pie from the oven (it should be golden brown) and quickly spread the prepared egg white foam evenly over the hot pastry, creating decorative waves or sharp peaks with a spoon. If you are using almond flakes (30 g optional), sprinkle them gently over the meringue now. Put the cake back in the oven and broil for 3-6 minutes or at 200°C, until the top of the meringue develops light brown, slightly caramelized peaks. Be careful — the meringue burns very quickly, so check through the oven window every 30 seconds.

Ingredients: Sugar (for meringue), Almond flakes, Egg
The safest option is to use the broil function for a very short time, keeping a close watch. If you don't have a broiler, set the temperature to 200°C and bake for a maximum of 6 minutes, but check every 1-2 minutes.

Baking and serving

11

After baking, turn off the oven and leave the door ajar for a few minutes, then remove the apple pie to a cooling rack. Let it cool in the pan for at least 60 minutes (ideally 90-120 minutes) — this will allow the filling to set and make cutting cleaner. Before serving, you can dust the cake with a little powdered sugar (optional) and serve slightly warm pieces on plates with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Ingredients: Apples, Powdered sugar, Almond flakes
Do not cut the apple pie immediately after taking it out of the oven — the hot filling will be too runny. Cooling allows the juices to bind with the breadcrumbs. Use a long sharp cake knife for cutting.

Fun Fact

💡

Apple pie is one of the most popular traditional Polish cakes — its history dates back to home baking in the countryside, where apples were used for baking throughout the year. In the version with meringue, the combination of crispy shortcrust pastry and soft meringue has become a favorite variant for the colder months.

Best for

rodzinne spotkania zimą Święta i uroczystości kawa z przyjaciółmi

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. It pairs wonderfully with vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a cup of strong coffee. When slicing, use a knife dipped in hot water and dried to achieve even slices.

🥡 Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The meringue may soften over time — to partially restore its crunchiness, reheat a piece in the oven at 160°C for 5-7 minutes before serving. Freezing meringue-based desserts is not recommended (the meringue loses its structure after thawing).

📸 Ugotowane przez społeczność

Zaloguj się, aby dodać zdjęcie
Dodaj zdjęcie gotowej potrawy

Po zatwierdzeniu przez moderatora otrzymasz 10 punktów doświadczenia.

🍲

Nikt jeszcze nie dodał zdjęcia. Bądź pierwszy!

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment on this recipe!

Add a comment

You might also like

Raspberry-Vanilla Strips with Puff Pastry 45 min

Raspberry-Vanilla Strips with Puff Pastry

Cakes and Bakes
Moist Spiced Gingerbread with a Hint of Orange and White Chocolate Glaze 150 min

Moist Spiced Gingerbread with a Hint of Or...

Cakes and Bakes
Quick Spiced Cake with Pears and Caramel Glaze 60 min

Quick Spiced Cake with Pears and Caramel G...

Cakes and Bakes
Aromatic pumpkin waffles with a spicy note 60 min

Aromatic pumpkin waffles with a spicy note

Breakfasts
Challah with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Crumble 180 min

Challah with Peanut Butter and Chocolate C...

Cakes and Bakes
Pistachio Crinkle Cookies with a Hint of Almond 100 min

Pistachio Crinkle Cookies with a Hint of A...

Cakes and Bakes

Recipe Categories

Cakes and Bakes
Cakes and Bakes

Homemade cakes and pastries are the heart of Polish culinary tradition - sweet memories from childhood. In our collection, you will find recipes for classic yeast cakes, shortcrust, sponge, and cheesecake. Apple pie, poppy seed cake, gingerbread, Easter babka, chocolate cake, and New York cheesec...

See all recipes in this category
Desserts
Desserts in: New Year's Eve

A sweet ending to the New Year's Eve dinner is a must-have that will put everyone in a joyful mood for the new year.

See all recipes in this category
Reklama