by Esme Addison
Nothing says fall like baking with apples. I love to bake pies in the American tradition during this season. But when it comes to apples, I can’t help but remember that according to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2020, Poland is one of the top producers of apples in the European Union. What that really means, is that there are lots of great Polish recipes with apples.
My mother-in-law makes a wonderful apple cake – jabłecznik- (moist and not too sweet!) and also a pie – szarlotka (pronounced shar-lot-ka)- which I feature in my Enchanted Bay Mystery series. So, I thought I’d discuss them in a post about baking with apples during the fall.
Polish Apple Pie or Szarlotka
Polish apple pie is similar to American apple pie in that there are apples and a crust, but because of the construction and a few other elements, the final result is a little different.
Szarlotka has a buttery shortcrust and a dense, firm layer of apples without the soupiness of traditional apple filling but still remains very moist.
This dessert is also not as sweet as American apple pie which really allows the natural flavors of the apple to shine through. The end result is a heavy slab of apple deliciousness. Kawa (coffee) anyone?
Try this recipe by Anszelika Trzebiatowskaour.
Polish Apple Cake or Jabłecznik
There is a lot of confusion about Polish apple cake and Polish apple pie. Sometimes szarlotka is used interchangeably for cake and pie in Polish. In truth, they look very similar depending on how you make it. But there are some differences.
Jabłecznik (pronounced ya-bwech-neek) or Polish apple cake is made of sponge, sometimes yeast cake or puff pastry. There is thick apple filling between soft fluffy layers flavored with lemon. Personally, I love this cake the next day straight from the refrigerator cold with my coffee. A nice decadent breakfast – Dzień dobry!
Try this recipe by Polish Your Kitchen. I love her website. She has an exhaustive supply of recipes and easy-peasy tutorials on her Youtube channel.
Polish Rice With Apples or Ryz Z Jablkami
Polish Rice With Apples is really a kind of rice pudding. I love rice pudding.
So cozy and comforting and warm and delicious. There is a Polish recipe that includes a cinnamony-sweet layer of apple. What better way to while away the crisp autumn day than by indulging in a dish of cooked vanilla-flavored rice and stewed apples topped with sweetened sour cream?
As with most Polish dessert recipes, there is little to no sugar in this one which allows for the full flavor of the apples to carry the dessert.
My only tweaks for this recipe? I cook the rice in milk. I used this recipe by Every Day Healthy Recipes.
Don’t these all sound delicious? I can’t wait to make to make these again. Look for pictures soon! If you enjoy stories with Polish culture and lots of Polish food, check out the Enchanted Bay Mystery series featuring the Sobieski family of herbalists.
Mermaids. Water witches. Mystery. Oh my. 