Authentic Appeltaart Recipe Netherlands, Europe
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Appeltaart, commonly known as the Dutch apple pie, has been a staple of Dutch food culture for centuries. The filling consists of thickly chopped apples and raisins flavored with fragrant warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. A classic Dutch apple pie is made with Golden Reinette apples which are, not coincidentally, the most cultivated apple variety in the Netherlands. Because Dutch apple pies are baked in deep springform pans, their crust is typically much thicker and crisper compared to other world-famous pies. For example, unlike Dutch apple pies, American pies have flaky or shortening-based crusts that fully enclose the apple filling. On the other hand, French apple pies tend to have puff pastry or cookie-like crusts. While making the Dutch apple pie is not an arduous process, it takes a bit of patience and baking skills to prepare. The dough is made by combining flour, sugar, butter, salt, egg, and water. After resting for half an hour, approximately ... Read more
Cooking tips
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apples
Making a classic Dutch apple pie requires tartly sweet apple varieties, preferably Golden Reinettes. However, to achieve a more complex and exotic flavor, combining a few different apple types is a worthwhile endeavor. On a similar note, when cutting the apples, try not to make the chunks too small. If you cut them too finely, they will dissolve and turn to mush while baking. -
raisins
If you decide to add raisins or currants to your Dutch apple pie, you can make the dessert even richer in taste by soaking the dried grapes in Armagnac or a different type of brandy. -
soggy pastry
Naturally, when baking, apples release quite a bit of juice, which will likely turn the bottom of the pie soggy. To prevent this, you can either sprinkle some breadcrumbs on the pastry before adding the apple filling, or bake the apples on their own prior to arranging the appeltaart. -
serving
It is quite tempting to serve the appeltaart straight out of the oven, but if you want the pie to hold together nicely, try to resist the temptation. The Dutch apple pie is best served at room temperature with a scoop of freshly made whipped cream on top.
Recipe variations
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Appeltaart
Ready in 1h 10minThis recipe is adapted from the assoupaspossible.com website. A classic appeltaart is defined by its thick, flaky crust and a mountain of tartish apples encrusted with sugar and cinnamon. This particular recipe uses custard powder; however, if you have no way of acquiring it, a simple mixture of cornstarch and vanilla sugar will suffice. Also, breadcrumbs are sprinkled over the bottom crust to prevent it from turning soggy.
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Dutch Apple Pie with Streusel Topping
Ready in 3h 30minThis recipe is adapted from www.foodnetwork.com. Apart from arranging dough strips in a lattice pattern, the Dutch apple pie can also be made with a streusel topping, which gives the pie a crumble-like texture. Much like a crumble topping, streusel is prepared by combining flour, sugar, salt, and butter, along with a dash of chopped walnuts.
Appeltaart
PREP 30min
COOK 40min
READY IN 1h 10min
This recipe is adapted from the assoupaspossible.com website. A classic appeltaart is defined by its thick, flaky crust and a mountain of tartish apples encrusted with sugar and cinnamon. This particular recipe uses custard powder; however, if you have no way of acquiring it, a simple mixture of cornstarch and vanilla sugar will suffice. Also, breadcrumbs are sprinkled over the bottom crust to prevent it from turning soggy.
Ingredients
CRUST
2 ½ cup (300 g) flour
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
⅞ cup (200 g) cold unsalted butter
1 egg
2 tbsp ice-cold water
FILLING
⅔ cup (100 g) raisins
2.6 lbs (1200 g) sweet-tart apples
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tbsp custard powder
4 tbsp breadcrumbs, to line the crust
1 egg for the finishing touch
Preparation
Sift the flour in a large bowl, add salt, sugar, egg, diced butter, and cold water.
Using your hands (make sure they are cool), knead the ingredients until a smooth ball of dough is formed.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 355°F/180°C. Grease a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan, then flour it lightly. If you prefer lining it with baking paper, feel free to do so.
Steep the raisins in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes, then drain them.
Peel and slice the apples, then add them to a bowl with sugar, custard powder, cinnamon, and raisins and mix.
Dust the dough and your kitchen counter with flour. Cut out ⅓ of the dough and set it aside. You will use it later on for the top.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough in a circle that is 12-inches (30 cm) in diameter. Transfer the dough to the greased springform pan. Trim the dough so that it is leveled with the edges of the pan.
To stop the bottom crust from turning soggy, sprinkle it with breadcrumbs.
Transfer the filling onto the crust, leaving excess liquids behind.
Roll out the remaining ⅓ of the dough and cut it into ½-inch (1-1,5 cm) wide strips. Lay the strips over the filling in a lattice pattern.
Beat one egg, then glaze the lattice-top with it.
Bake the appeltaart for an hour until the crust turns golden brown.
Before opening the springform pan, let the appeltaart cool for a bit. Serve with whipped cream on the side.
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