szarlotka - polish apple pasty

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Nor Mac
Northern, MA

This is a Polish type of pastry. Although the Polish call it cake. It is more of a non yeast pastry filled with apples and cinnamon. I love it! I enjoy going back to my roots. My Grandma came from Poland to The USA in the early 1900's. She was cramped in on a ship with many others who came to the USA. They barely had breathing space on the ship. They all sailed in to NY. She moved to MA with many others. She loved baking. I learned by watching her. She barely spoke any English at all. I loved all of the unusual desserts,and breads she made. I decided to make this in memory of her. Enjoy!

(1 rating)
yield 10 -12
prep time 30 Min
cook time 40 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For szarlotka - polish apple pasty

  • 1/2
    lemon
  • 8
    good size apples
  • 1 c
    water
  • 5 Tbsp
    light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp
    cinnamon
  • 3 3/4 c
    flour
  • 1 tsp
    baking powder
  • 1 stick
    butter (1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons)
  • 1 c
    caster sugar( granulated sugar put in food processor and pulse for 1 min. to make if finer)
  • 1
    whole egg
  • 3
    egg yolks plus at room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp
    plain greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp
    lemon zest
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla
  • TOPPING
  • powdered sugar for dusting,and or whipped cream
  • 1 tsp
    cinnamon folded in to whipped cream

How To Make szarlotka - polish apple pasty

  • 1
    Heat oven to 325 degree's.Grease and line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper. Zest a tablespoon of lemon peel and set aside.
  • 2
    peel and core apples. Slice thinly about 20 slices per apple. Squeeze juice from lemon over the apples to prevent browning. Put apples in large kettle add the water,brown sugar,and cinnamon. cook for 5 minutes until some what tender.Remove from heat to cool.
  • 3
    make the dough: place the flour,baking powder in a food processor. Pulse to combine.add the chopped cold butter.pulse again until it is crumbly.
  • 4
    add the caster sugar,egg yolks, whole egg, yogurt,lemon zest,and vanilla. Pulse until it comes together to form dough. Dump dough on to floured surface.It will be sticky. Flour the dough and your hands. Make in to a ball.
  • 5
    Split dough in half. Freeze half the dough in plastic wrap for later use. Roll dough a few inches and wider than the lined pan. Place in pan,and half way up the inside walls of pan. Prick dough with fork in several areas and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
  • 6
    Remove apples from pan to dough with a slotted spoon.After it is filled with apples. Take half of the liquid left from cooking the apples,and pour evenly over the apples.
  • 7
    When the other half of dough is frozen. Remove from freezer and grate the dough over the top of the apples. Place in oven and bake about 40-45 minutes. The pastry will not be real brown. If you want a more golden brown look. Place under broiler for a couple of minutes. Remove from oven to cool.
  • 8
    Lift apple pastry from pan by parchment paper. Cut in to slices. Dust with powdered sugar,and serve with cinnamon whip cream if desired. I like ice cream with mine!!
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