Recipe: Dutch Apple Pie

I’m switching things up this week and instead of starting off the week with interior inspiration photos, I thought I’d share a recipe instead.

When I was in Holland in July, my dad and I enjoyed a piece of apple pie in cafe Winkel43, a cafe said to make the best apple pie in all of Amsterdam. We had to hover around the patio for a bit to secure a spot, but were glad we were able to snatch up a nice spot in the sunshine in the end.

Back home, I’ve found myself craving some real Dutch apple pie. I really wanted to try to replicate the pie that I had at Cafe Winkel, and after some research, came across a blog post by a girl who has a friend who is said to have insiders’ knowledge on the Cafe Winkel’s apple pie. Here’s the recipe, copied verbatim and my notes added in italics:

From: The Amsterdam Files

Hollandse Appeltaart (Dutch Apple Pie)

600 gr zelfrijzend bakmeel (this is “self-rising flour” – I used 600 grams of all-purpose flour and a tsp of baking powder)
350 gr real butter this has to be at room temp – and has to be a mix of salted (275 gr) and unsalted (75 gr) butter ( I forgot the salted butter, so added a sprinkling of salt separately)
250 gr brown sugar (if you like it sweet go for 300 gr)
2 eggs
about 8 big apples (Goudreinet or Braeburn, I used Braeburn apples and 2 Red Delicious) also add 2 softer apples.
1 lemon
1 orange
Little glass of Calvados (not essential, but very yummy) (I didn’t have Calvados, but I’d like to try it someday and see how it makes a difference)
cinnamon (while I only used cinnamon this time, I might add more spices next time)

Now if you like other ingredients, like nuts and raisins, add them to you apple mixture.
Don’t like raisins, but would like to try something else, try dried apricots.

As with any recipe. You like it sweeter, add more sugar.
You like it less sweet, use less sugar ;-)
But please don’t use a margarine or any other low fat butter. Just use the real stuff. (I cannot emphasize this enough!)

Mix butter and sugar together until soft.
Add eggs (safe some egg to brush on top of cake)
Sift the flower twice (separately) then add to butter and sugar mixture.
Then mix together and let it rest.

Peel your apples and mix with a scoop of sugar and a little bit of Calvados.
Add the zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange.
In a pan add a little butter and heat up your apples (and raisins etc.). The softer apples will start falling apart.
Heat the apples only for a short 2 or 3 minutes.

Meanwhile. Butter your cake dish and cover the bottom with baking paper.
Then line the entire dish with your cake mixture. Safe plenty for the top.
Fill with the apple mixture.
Cover the cake with the rest of the mixture, make strips and align as followed #
If you want you can add some brown sugar on the strips.

You should still have some of the mixture left.
Make different shapes of fruits or just apples and bake these separately.
You will end up with some nice butter cookies that you can use to decorate your cake.(I made hearts and put them on the cross-sections of the grid for added cuteness.)

–

Here’s how mine came out:

Best enjoyed with a big dollop of whipped cream. I whipped some cream with brown sugar and cinnamon for added depth of flavor – yum. The recipe gave no instructions for baking, but I baked mine on 350F for an hour. The bottom turned out just a bit undercooked, so I might turn it to 375F next time, or move the pie more toward the bottom of the oven.

And there you have it, now you have the inside scoop on how to make a real Dutch apple pie.

Hope your week is off to a good start!

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