Recipe: Romanian apple and cinnamon pie, the easy autumn classic
Two thin sheets of tender, buttery shortcrust and a thick layer of grated apples cooked with cinnamon: Romanian plăcintă cu mere is the easiest way to use up autumn apples. One 30×35 cm tray makes 20 squares in about two hours, chilling and baking included.
Late October is apple season at its best, and today's story about Austria's forgotten heritage apples is a good excuse to bake. In Romanian homes, the classic answer to a crate of apples is plăcintă cu mere: no lattice and no blind baking, just two thin sheets of fragrant, crumbly dough with a generous layer of grated apples in between, cut into squares and dusted with icing sugar.
This is our own version of the family classic. Tart, firm apples (Ionatan, Idared, Granny Smith or older varieties such as Reinette) give the best flavour, and cooking the grated apples before assembling keeps the base crisp. The quantities below are for a 30×35 cm baking tray.
Ingredients: dough
- 500 g plain flour (type 000/650), plus a little for rolling
- 200 g cold butter (82% fat), diced
- 120 g icing sugar
- 2 medium eggs (about 100 g)
- 150 g sour cream (20% fat)
- 10 g baking powder (1 sachet)
- 8 g vanilla sugar (1 sachet) or 5 ml vanilla extract
- 2 g fine salt (a pinch)
- Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
Ingredients: filling
- 1.5 kg tart apples (9–10 medium), weighed before peeling
- 80 g caster sugar (up to 120 g if the apples are very sour)
- 5 g ground cinnamon (2 teaspoons)
- 15 ml lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
- 30 g fine semolina or dry breadcrumbs (2 tablespoons)
To finish
- 20 g icing sugar, for dusting
Method
- Peel, core and coarsely grate the apples. Put them in a wide pan with the sugar and lemon juice and cook over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until the juice has evaporated and the apples are soft. Stir in the cinnamon and leave to cool completely.
- For the dough, mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the icing sugar, vanilla sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs and sour cream and quickly bring everything together into a soft, smooth dough. Don't knead for long, or it will turn tough; if it is sticky, add 1–2 tablespoons of flour.
- Divide the dough into two equal pieces (about 540 g each), flatten them, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 30×35 cm tray with baking paper.
- Roll one piece of dough on a floured surface into a 3–4 mm sheet the size of the tray (rolling it on baking paper makes it easy to lift). Lay it in the tray and prick it all over with a fork.
- Sprinkle the semolina over the base, then spread the cooled apple filling evenly on top.
- Roll out the second piece the same way, lay it over the filling, press the edges gently and prick the top with a fork.
- Bake on the middle shelf for 35–40 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick comes out dry.
- Leave to cool in the tray for at least 30 minutes, dust with icing sugar and cut into 20 squares.
Tips
- Always let the filling cool before assembling: hot apples melt the butter in the dough and give you a soggy base.
- The pie is even better the next day. It keeps covered for 2 days at room temperature or 4 days in the fridge. For a twist, add 100 g chopped walnuts or a handful of raisins to the filling.