Dutch apple pie

Baking tool:

• greased non-stick springform pan, 32 cm

 

Filling:

• 1 kg tart apples (Goudrenet*)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Dough:

• 1 teaspoon crushed aniseed
• 175 g all purpose flour
• 175 g self raising flour
• 175 g white castor sugar
• 175 g soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• pinch of salt

Garnish of the dough bottom:

• 2 tablespoons  breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon  crushed aniseed

 

Garnish of the top:

• 4 tablespoons apricot jam,
• mixed with 2 tablespoons rum or lemon juice

The national sweet pastry of the Netherlands is applepie, for which recipes have been found from the Middle Ages on. You had to sprinkle a lot of spices such as cardamom, ginger, cloves, mace and cinnamon on  ‘golden apples’ and the time for baking was given with the number of paternosters you had to say. Apparently the outcome was unpredictable. The invention of the oven with heat control in the 18^th century solved this problem, but may have contributed to secularisation. Today appeltaart is exhibited in show-cases on bars in cafeterias, waiting-rooms and coffeeshops. The first cake a Dutch child learns to bake is an apple pie, still best with goudrenet (‘Golden Rennet’).

• Peel and slice the apples thinly. Let them marinate in lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon.
• Meanwhile quickly knead a supple dough from flour, sugar, butter, egg, rind and salt.
• Sprinkle a working surface with flour. Roll  2/3 of the dough out to a rough circle of 30 cm. Line the form with it. Make rim of 2 cm. Repair possible cracks by pressing. Spread the crumbs and seed over the bottom. Arrange the slices overlapping in circles on top of it.
• Roll out 1/3 of the dough to a circle of 28 cm. Cut I cm wide strips of it and arrange them as a lattice over the apples.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 200˚C for 40-45 minutes on the lowest shelf. Take out of the oven and, while still warm,  brush the top with the jam mixture. Take the ring away carefully. Leave to cool under cake cover to keep the crust moist. Freezes well.

* You cannot find this apple in America, nor in England. The texture is similar to a russet, while the taste resembles a sour cox. I consulted my daughter, who lived in America for several years, she suggests Granny Smith, other varieties are too juicy. Other names for Goudrenet (Goudreinette): Reinette Coulon, Kasseler Reinette, Reinette du Canada, Zabergäu, Reinette Grise d’Automne, Damason’s Reinette and for England and France Belle de Boskoop.