Omas Appeltaart Recipes

APPELTAART (DUTCH APPLE TART)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan.
• Combine flour, butter, 1 1/2 egg, 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Knead by hand to form a smooth, consistent dough.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out 3/4 of the dough into a 10-inch circle; press over the bottom and sides of the prepared cake pan.
• Mix apples, sultanas, 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon together in a bowl. Spread over the dough in the cake pan.
• Roll out remaining dough into a circle; cut into strips about 1/3-inch wide. Form an X in the center of the tart with the 2 longest strips. Create a lattice by weaving vertical and horizontal strips in an over-and-under pattern, using the shortest strips for the edges. Press ends of the strips firmly to the edge of the tart; trim excess dough with a knife.
• Brush remaining beaten egg over the dough.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is light brown, 60 to 65 minutes.

DUTCH APPLE PIE (OMA'S APPELTAART)

Steps:

• For the dough:.
• Sieve the flour, brown sugar, vanilla and the salt into a bowl.
• Cut the butter or margarine into small cubes and add these to the flour mixture.
• Beat the egg and add 3/4 of it to the flour mixture (you will need the rest for the top).
• Using two knives, mix the butter/margarine and the flour mixture.
• Using one hand, kneed it to form the dough - you should be able to form it into a ball (this may take quite long).
• Put the ball of dough in the fridge for about an hour, in the meantime, make the filling.
• For the filling:.
• Peel the apples and cut them in cubes (allow the sizes to vary--it'll taste better).
• In a (large) bowl, combine apple, raisins, (granulated) sugar, cinnamon, the lemon juice and half of the semolina.
• Mix well and allow the flavors to blend, stirring occasionally.
• Then:.
• Butter a 9-inch round springform cake pan, or spray it with a non-stick spray.
• Line the pan (bottom and sides) with about 3/4 of the dough - as long as the pan is covered, the layer need not be very thick.
• Cover the bottom with the remaining semolina.
• Add the filling, but try to leave the juices out.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining dough until it's less than 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick.
• Cut the dough into strips and layer them over the apple pie to form a raster, covering no more than one third of the surface--you should be able to see quite a bit of the apple pieces (see picture).
• If necessary, use (some of) the remaining dough to make the edges a bit higher.
• Use the remaining egg to coat the dough strips.
• Bake the pie at 175°C / 340°F, just below the middle of your oven, for about 75 minutes.
• If you have any dough left, roll it out, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (or left-over apple mixture) and bake it on baking paper for a few minutes.
• Remove the springform only *after* the pie has cooled.
• Serve warm (reheat in oven or microwave) or cold, with whipped or ice cream, or freeze.

APPELTAART: DUTCH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
• Cut in the butter with a pastry blender (or with the tips of your fingers), until the mixture resembles crumbs and the butter is cut into pea-sized pieces.
• Add the egg and gently knead the dough until it comes together into a ball.
• Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour before rolling it out. I prefer to make the dough the day before and have it rest overnight.
• Place the raisins in a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let the raisins soak for 10-15 minutes, then drain.
• Peel and core the apples, then slice them thinly. In a large bowl, toss the apples in the lemon juice, coating them so they don't oxidize.
• Add the sugar and cinnamon to the apples and stir to distribute evenly. Then stir in the raisins.
• Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Grease an 8-inch (20cm) springform cake pan with butter and dust with flour.
• Split the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other.
• Start with the larger ball of dough and keep the smaller one cold in the refrigerator.
• Roll out the larger piece of dough and line the bottom of the cake pan as well as up the sides.
• Sprinkle the breadcrumbs into the bottom of the pie shell, then pour in the apple filling. Press the filling in snugly. It will seem like there's too many apples, but the filling will reduce as it bakes.
• Roll out the remaining piece of dough to just larger than the cake pan. Using a pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or long sharp knife, slice several thin strips of dough, about 2cm (3/4-inch) wide.
• To weave the lattice, I like to start with the longest strip vertically in the middle. Then lay the next strip at a 90° angle, crossing through the middle. Add two more vertical strips on top of the horizontal strip on either side of the middle. I like to weave the lattice alternating between vertical and horizontal strips as I go until I run out of strips.
• Using your fingertips, seal the edge of the pie and trim off any excess dough.
• Brush the lattice with a beaten egg and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar.
• Bake the appeltaart for 60-70 minutes until the crust turns rich, golden brown and the apples are tender.
• Let the pie cool to room temperature before serving.
• To unmold the pie, carefully run a knife or offset spatula along the edge to ensure the crust isn't sticking, then release the pan.