The story behind the recipe
Szarlotka is a cake with sour apples between two layers of shortcrust pastry, dusted with powdered sugar and cut into squares. Depending on the region of Poland, it is also called jabłecznik (apple cake). The "Canon of Polish Cuisine" from 2019 includes it among the hundred most important Polish dishes and reminds us that centuries ago, jabłecznik referred to a weak alcoholic drink made from apples, which is today's cider.
The origin of the name is not definitively known. It is most often associated with the French dessert "charlotte," attributed to chef Marie-Antoine Carême, which, however, did not contain apples. Other stories link the name to Queen Charlotte or the Prussian princess Charlotte, but there is no evidence for this.
The old Polish szarlotka was not made with shortcrust pastry. The "New Warsaw Cuisine" from 1838 describes "szarlota z jabłek": twelve apples stewed with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, arranged in a dish lined with buttered bread crumbs and baked for 20 minutes. The shortcrust pastry szarlotka that we bake at home today is its younger sister.
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry (24×24 cm or 21×27 cm pan)
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320 g all-purpose flour (type 450 or 500)
Abroad: USA: all-purpose flour; UK: plain flour; Germany: Type 405 -
220 g cold butter (cut into cubes)
Abroad: unsalted butter; Germany: Süßrahmbutter - 80 g fine sugar
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1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla sugar
Abroad: Germany: Vanillezucker; USA and UK: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract - 1 pc egg
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1½ tsp (about 6 g) baking powder
Abroad: baking powder; Germany: Backpulver - salt (a pinch)
Apples
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1.5 kg sour apples (szara reneta or antonówka)
Abroad: UK: Bramley; Germany: Boskoop or Kanadarenette; USA, Canada, Australia: Granny Smith - 5 tbsp (about 63 g) sugar (more or less, depending on the sourness of the apples)
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon (up to 1 teaspoon)
For finishing
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powdered sugar
Abroad: powdered / icing sugar
Method, step by step
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Dough: In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add cold butter in cubes and quickly chop or rub it into the flour, then add the egg. Knead briefly, just until the ingredients are combined.
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Divide the dough into two parts. Wrap one in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer, and the other in the fridge, each for at least 15–30 minutes.
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Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut them into pieces. Place them in a wide pot with sugar and cinnamon and sauté over medium heat, stirring, for about 20 minutes, until they soften, start to break down, and most of the juice evaporates. Set aside to cool completely.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat, no fan). Line the pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter.
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Cut the dough from the fridge into slices and spread them on the bottom of the pan, pressing with your fingers and connecting the edges to create an even base.
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Spread the cooled apples on the dough and level them, pressing down lightly.
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Grate the frozen dough directly onto the apples using a coarse grater, creating an even layer.
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Bake on the middle shelf for about 50–60 minutes, until the top is golden.
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Cool in the pan, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into squares.
Photos
