For our seasonal recipe, we're highlighting a classic fall crop — delicious, versatile apples.
I'm excited to share my mother-in-law’s family recipe. This recipe is as nuanced as if she is right in the kitchen with you as you make this classic Dutch treat.
In Dutch culture, a tart like this is made for every holiday table, offered at friends’ and family’s home during special visits, and enjoyed in many canal-side cafes with a hot cup of coffee.
Happy baking!
Hollandse Appeltaart
Recipe compiled over the years from practice and friends
Serves 8
Ingredients & Tools
TOOLS
1 round 9" spring-form baking pan, greased with butter 1 rolling pin
INGREDIENTS
For filling: 6–7 Cortland apples Lemon juice Handful of raisins 1 tsp cinnamon
For crust: 2 cups all purpose flour + extra for dusting 1 cup cane sugar 1 stick of cold, salted butter, cut into small pieces 1⁄4 tsp baking powder Pinch of salt 1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg, beaten 1–3 tbsp of cold water
Instructions
Make the filling. First, peel and core apples. Depending upon the size of your apples, cut each apple into 12–16 slices. Add apples to a medium bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent oxidation. Mix in the raisins and cinnamon. Allow to sit for a couple hours, shaking the bowl frequently.
Preheat oven to 375°. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and another rack one level below that.
Create the crust. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in vanilla and ¾ of the egg. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two dull knives. When pieces of butter are small, use one hand to knead and turn it into a cohesive ball. The dough should hold together, but not be sticky. If the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of the cold water and knead. Repeat as necessary, being careful not to make the dough too wet.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a slab to be twice as big as the bottom of your baking pan and about 1/8" thick. Using a sharp knife, cut a circle of the dough for the bottom of your pan and insert into the pan. To line the sides of the pan, cut strips about 2 ½" wide. Place into pan around the circumference of the circular pan and secure the connections to the bottom piece by pressing firmly. A small amount of water can act as a glue for the dough if needed.
Spread apples inside, dividing them evenly, up to the sides.
Collect the remaining dough slivers and make into a ball. Roll the ball out to a circle, roughly the same size as the bottom of your pan and about 1/8" thick. Using a sharp knife, cut ¾" wide strips. Drape half of the strips of dough in a line over the apple filling leaving about an inch to an inch and a half between strips. Drape the remaining strips diagonally over top the first layer to create a simple lattice. Brush the dough strips with the remaining egg mixture for a shiny crust.
Place pan in oven on the middle rack. Slide an empty cookie sheet onto the rack below to catch drippings. Bake for 55–65 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are done. The size of the filling may fluctuate the cooking time +/– 10 minutes.
After baking, let cool for 5 minutes. With knife, cut along the inside of the pan to loosen the side, open up and remove the spring pan. Eat taart warm with vanilla ice cream or cool with whipped cream (or plain!)
Old Frog Pond Farm is one of the few certified organic orchards in Massachusetts. Every fall, they open for pick-your-own apples and raspberries, which is always a great family activity. They also sell potatoes and other produce from their farm stand. Other activities include an annual outdoor sculpture exhibit, present workshops, and plein air poetry. Check out their community events year-round!
The apple is the most diverse food plant in the world. A century ago, 16,000 varieties existed in the United States alone. Due to industrial agriculture, only a handful appear in most grocery stores today, but hundreds of the most interesting varieties still exist. With a new apple renaissance underway, many are making a comeback. Jacobsen profiles the best and the brightest, the oddballs and the old veterans, and through their stories, tells the story of the apple in America.
