Buttery, crumbly, and tender shortcrust pastry wrapped around juicy, cinnamon-sweet apples. There's really nothing quite like fresh and juicy apple pie, and our favourite Austrian version is right up there with the best...
Austrian Apfelschlangel, aka Apfelschlangerl (literally: little apple snake) is one of my personal favourites, but given that my name is Eva, I guess it's not really that far from the tree ;-)
Made with a an egg-enriched short-crust pastry, and a filling of cinnamon-spiced apples and (rum-soaked) raisins, this Austrian version of apple pie is super-moist, juicy and incredibly delicious.
The Schlangel is easy and relatively fast to make. The dry ingredients are mixed and then quickly brought together with the wet ingredients into a dough. The dough is chilled, rolled out, filled, decorated, and baked.
Apfelschlangel is delightful served warm, just a few minutes out of the oven, but also at room temperature. Like most apple cakes, it benefits from a light dusting of icing sugar. It pairs well with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream, but it is so juicy and packed with flavor, it really needs nothing on the side.
I typically use the entire dough to create one wide Schlangel. Alternatively, you can cut the dough in half lengthwise and make two narrower pies.
If you like APFELSTRUDEL, you will definitely like this much faster and simpler version.
Boozy tip: steep the raisins in rum for at least 30 minutes to several hours, or overnight for a more pronounced flavour rum flavour.
I use a fluted pastry wheel to create traditional soft wavy edges, but you could also use a straight wheel, or a knife.
How to prepare:
AUSTRIAN APFELSCHLANGEL - APPLE-SNAKE-PIE
Buttery, crumbly, and tender pastry wrapped around juicy, cinnamon-sweet apples. There's really nothing quite like apple pie, and our Austrian version is right up there with the best...
Recipe source: My Mum's
INGREDIENTS:
Makes approximately 12-14 pieces
For the pastry:
300g flour
80g icing sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 sachet vanilla sugar, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
100g butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
1 egg
approximately 35ml cold water
For the apple filling:
approximately 1.2 kg apples (Jonagold, Cox), (approximately 600g peeled and grated)
50g caster sugar or crystallized sugar (a bit more if apples are quite sour)
50g raisins (optional: steep the raisins in rum for at least 30 minutes to several hours or overnight, then drain before use)
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
lemon juice (to prevent apples from oxidation)
For assembly & topping:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
egg wash: 1 egg yolk, milk
To serve:
icing sugar for dusting
optional: vanilla ice cream, whipped cream
Also: baking tray: about 30x40cm, baking paper; fluted or straight pastry wheel (alternatively use a knife)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 190°C/175°C fan. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Gather and measure out all the ingredients.
Prepare the pastry:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: sift in 300g flour, add 80g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 sachet vanilla sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
Add 100g cubed butter and work it into the flour using a fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Add 1 egg, and gradually mix in cold water, about 35ml or as much as needed for the dough to come together. Bring it together quickly into a smooth dough, making sure not to overwork it. Shape it into a ball.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes: Flatten the dough into a small disk, wrap it in cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the apple filling: Peel the apples and grate them on a coarse grater (immediately sprinkle the grated apples with a little lemon juice to avoid browning). Mix in 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon, 50g caster sugar, and 50g raisins. Taste and add more sugar if apples are quite sour. Cover and set aside.
Roll out the pastry: Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll the pastry to a thickness of approximately 3 mm, forming a rectangle of about 35 x 45 cm, slightly larger than the baking sheet. Use a pastry cutter to trim neat edges, saving the trimmings for later. The pastry should now be about the size of the baking tray, 30 x 40 cm.
Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet. This step is important because once the pie is filled, it's hard to move. To do this, lightly dust the rolled-out pastry with flour just so that it does not stick to itself, then carefully roll it onto the rolling pin, and unroll it onto the baking sheet.
Add the filling: Distribute the apple filling evenly on top of the pastry, leaving a 3-4 cm border around the edges (slightly smaller if you are making 2 narrower Schlangel).
Fold over the edges: Brush the dough edges with beaten egg white, then fold the edges of the pastry over the filling, starting with the short edges: to do so, lift the dough together with the baking paper, fold it over the filling, and then place the paper back down on the tray. Repeat with the second short edge. Brush the corners of the folded edges with egg white, then fold over the long edges in the same manner.
Decorate with pastry strips: Gather and quickly knead the leftover dough into a ball, then roll it out into a rectangle, a bit wider than the width of the Schlangel, about 3 mm thickness. Trim neat edges with a pastry cutter, then cut 1.5 - 2 cm wide strips. Arrange the strips in a crisscross pattern over the Schlangel. Secure them by brushing the undersides of their ends with egg white.
Brush with egg wash: Prepare an egg wash by lightly whisking 1 egg yolk with a bit of milk. Brush it over the Schlangel pastry and strips.
Bake: Place the baking sheet on the centre rack of the preheated oven and bake the Schlangel for about 30-40 minutes, or until fully baked, the apples are soft, and the crust is golden brown. If needed, cover the pie with aluminum foil toward the end to prevent excessive browning. Once baked, let the Schlangel cool on the baking tray.
Serve: Cut into half-slices and enjoy warm or at room temperature, lightly dusted with icing sugar.
TEXT-ONLY RECIPE
AUSTRIAN APFELSCHLANGEL - APPLE-SNAKE-PIE
Buttery, crumbly, and tender pastry wrapped around juicy, cinnamon-sweet apples. There's really nothing quite like apple pie, and our Austrian version is right up there with the best...
Recipe source: My Mum's
INGREDIENTS:
Makes approximately 12-14 pieces
For the pastry:
300g flour
80g icing sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 sachet vanilla sugar, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
100g butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
1 egg
approximately 35ml cold water
For the apple filling:
approximately 1.2 kg apples (Jonagold, Cox), (approximately 600g peeled and grated)
50g caster sugar or crystallized sugar (a bit more if apples are quite sour)
50g raisins (optional: steep the raisins in rum for at least 30 minutes to several hours or overnight, then drain before use)
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
lemon juice (to prevent apples from oxidation)
For assembly & topping:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
egg wash: 1 egg yolk, milk
To serve:
icing sugar for dusting
optional: vanilla ice cream, whipped cream
Also: baking tray: about 30x40cm, baking paper; fluted or straight pastry wheel (alternatively use a knife)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 190°C/175°C fan. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Gather and measure out all the ingredients.
Prepare the pastry:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: sift in 300g flour, add 80g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 sachet vanilla sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix well.
Add 100g cubed butter and work it into the flour using a fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Add 1 egg, and gradually mix in cold water, about 35ml or as much as needed for the dough to come together. Bring it together quickly into a smooth dough, making sure not to overwork it. Shape it into a ball.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes: Flatten the dough into a small disk, wrap it in cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the apple filling: Peel the apples and grate them on a coarse grater (immediately sprinkle the grated apples with a little lemon juice to avoid browning). Mix in 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon, 50g caster sugar, and 50g raisins. Taste and add more sugar if apples are quite sour. Cover and set aside.
Roll out the pastry: Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll the pastry to a thickness of approximately 3 mm, forming a rectangle of about 35 x 45 cm, slightly larger than the baking sheet. Use a pastry cutter to trim neat edges, saving the trimmings for later. The pastry should now be about the size of the baking tray, 30 x 40 cm.
Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet. This step is important because once the pie is filled, it's hard to move. To do this, lightly dust the rolled-out pastry with flour just so that it does not stick to itself, then carefully roll it onto the rolling pin, and unroll it onto the baking sheet.
Add the filling: Distribute the apple filling evenly on top of the pastry, leaving a 3-4 cm border around the edges (slightly smaller if you are making 2 narrower Schlangel).
Fold over the edges: Brush the dough edges with beaten egg white, then fold the edges of the pastry over the filling, starting with the short edges: to do so, lift the dough together with the baking paper, fold it over the filling, and then place the paper back down on the tray. Repeat with the second short edge. Brush the corners of the folded edges with egg white, then fold over the long edges in the same manner.
Decorate with pastry strips: Gather and quickly knead the leftover dough into a ball, then roll it out into a rectangle, a bit wider than the width of the Schlangel, about 3 mm thickness. Trim neat edges with a pastry cutter, then cut 1.5 - 2 cm wide strips. Arrange the strips in a crisscross pattern over the Schlangel. Secure them by brushing the undersides of their ends with egg white.
Brush with egg wash: Prepare an egg wash by lightly whisking 1 egg yolk with a bit of milk. Brush it over the Schlangel pastry and strips.
Bake: Place the baking sheet on the centre rack of the preheated oven and bake the Schlangel for about 30-40 minutes, or until fully baked, the apples are soft, and the crust is golden brown. If needed, cover the pie with aluminum foil toward the end to prevent excessive browning. Once baked, let the Schlangel cool on the baking tray.
Serve: Cut into half-slices and enjoy warm or at room temperature, lightly dusted with icing sugar.
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