It is said that charlotte became widespread in Europe because of the availability and cheapness of apples. They also say that it arose out of the need to dispose of leftover apple crops that had found no other use for them. But, really, that can only be said by boring theorists who are not able to notice the divine caramel delight, into which each piece of apple flesh baked in the dough turns! Are there such people? – You may ask. We answer: there aren’t … but they do sometimes occur, if they’ve just had a slice of this very pastry and are in an excellent mood, which inclines them to theorizing.
By https://yagupov.com.ua/ As is often the case, the modern Charlotte has little in common with its historical forebear. Even its version, which came to Alexander I’s table in the 19th century from the hands of French chef Marie Careme and is called “Russian” all over the world, was not at all a sponge apple pie, but a dessert of ready-made biscuits and Bavarian cream.
1. Classic Charlotte with apples
Classic charlotte (and this is the most popular version) is loved in many families and for growing hostesses it often becomes the first bake on its own, because the recipe is very simple.
Ingredients:
- eggs 3 pcs.
- sugar 1 tbsp.
- flour 1 tbsp.
- apples 2 large or 4-5 small
- lemon juice a couple of drops
- vanilla
- pinch of salt
- cinnamon pinch (optional)
- cognac 2 tbsp. (optional)
How to make a classic charlotte
Start by preparing the apples. Remove the core, cut them into pieces. Pour them into a container, add a couple of spoonfuls of cinnamon and cinnamon, mix and leave under the lid for half an hour. These additives will give the charlotte an exquisite flavor, and there is no need to worry about the little tasters of the pie – the alcohol will evaporate during baking.
Just before you start making the dough, turn on the oven to 180°C (356°F). Take the eggs and beat them in a convenient container for whipping. It is not necessary to separate the whites from the yolks – you can get a sufficiently fluffy dough without these unnecessary manipulations. Add a cup of sugar to the eggs and beat with a mixer until you get a light brown mixture. Only now add flour to the dough in small portions until the consistency of sour cream of medium fat (if necessary, you can put a little more flour) and stir until the dough is lighter. This is the secret to a fluffy charlotte.
Add a couple of drops of lemon juice to the mixture to dilute the smell of the eggs. A pinch of vanilla will brighten up the flavor even better.
Now mix the dough with the apples, pour it into the prepared form and put it in the oven for half an hour. Check the readiness with a long wooden stick or a toothpick in several places, making sure that it is in the center.
As a note to the most popular recipe, let us make one more small caveat: Charlotte is a universal pie, it can be served both for a family tea party and for guests, so the way of adding apples is important not only in terms of their taste after baking (which we mentioned above), but also in an aesthetic sense.
A charlotte with a layer of apples placed directly on the baking tray and poured with batter is delicious, but it’s hard to keep it pretty when you remove it from the tray. At the same time, by laying apples on top of the dough in circles, rosettes, or the most intricate patterns, and after baking, sprinkling the charlotte with powdered sugar, it is easy to get a beautiful holiday pie.
2. White Bread Charlotte with Apples and Cheese
Here’s our real forgotten classic charlotte, or rather, part of the classic recipe in the form of using toasted bread instead of dough, and a savory addition to that recipe in the form of hard cheese.
This option is certainly economical and quick. It also turns out very tasty, in principle, no worse than a sponge cake. It is good for those cases when you need a hearty meal, and there is no time for pickles.
Ingredients:
- dried white loaf 0.5 kg
- apples 2 large or 4-5 small
- 3 eggs
- sugar 200 g
- 1 liter of milk
- 150 g hard cheese
- vanilla pinch
- pinch of salt
How to Prepare:
The drier the loaf, the tastier the pie will turn out. Moreover, many nutritionists have repeatedly said that the bread on the second or third day is healthier to eat than fresh bread (though, we will have it baked again and it is unlikely that dietitians asked for an opinion on such an exotic option).
- So, we take the dried loaf and break it into small pieces. If it is difficult to do this with your hands, use any improvised means (grater, combine).
- Prepare the apples: peel from the core (you do not need to cut off the skin), chop into pieces. For this charlotte it is convenient to cut the apples into cubes with a side of about a centimeter. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater.
- Lay out in a form (it is very convenient to bake such pies in a silicone form). Layers should be in this order: bread layer, cheese layer, apple layer, bread layer again, cheese layer, apple layer. The last layer should definitely be the bread layer. Try to lay the layers so that the bread “enveloped” the apples, then the pie will be strong and beautiful in the cut.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, a pinch of salt, vanilla and sugar until smooth and slightly brown. Pour this mixture over the prepared cake and press down firmly with the palms of your hands.
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C (428 °F) and put the cake in it. As soon as the pie has a browned crust on top, turn down the heat and bake for another 15 minutes.
3. Kefir Charlotte with apples and cottage cheese
The last recipe in our selection is a kefir biscuit. Strictly speaking, the dough in it is not really kefir, because the presence of butter already puts it in the category of more “noble” types of dough, and cottage cheese in the category of specific.
Nevertheless, kefir dough is an option for a puffy charlotte. Lactic acid actively interacts with baking soda and such dough always rises well, if the correct proportions of flour and liquid are maintained.
We also remind you that muffin does not have to be apple: bananas, hard pears, rhubarb, raspberries, peaches are all good options for filling, too.
Ingredients:
- kefir 300 ml
- sugar 150g
- butter 80 g
- soda half a teaspoon
- flour 3 tbsp.
- eggs 3 pcs.
- apples 2 large or 4-5 small
- cottage cheese 300g
- pinch of salt
- vanilla pinch
Prepare the cottage cheese. It should be lump-free, with the consistency of curd mass in baby food (best curd is beaten with a blender or chopper in a combine, but you can also thoroughly grind with a fork). In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until light brown and thick foam. The butter should be softened, added to the beaten eggs and beat them again. Add to the mixture the baking soda, salt, vanillin, cottage cheese, kefir and flour. The resulting dough should resemble a strong sour cream (if it turns out to be greasier, add flour in excess of the specified amount).
Shred the apples and place them on the dough, pressing a little.
The cake will bake for 45 minutes at 180 °C (356 °F) and another 15 minutes at 160 °C. (320 °F)