Romanian Placinta cu Mere: Flaky Apple Pastry with Cinnamon and Walnuts

Toss the grated apples with the granulated sugar and a pinch of salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let them drain for 20 minutes, then squeeze them firmly by the handful — a soggy filling is the one thing that ruins this pastry.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 8 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 pounds tart farmers-market apples, peeled and coarsely grated
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs or semolina
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Toss the grated apples with the granulated sugar and a pinch of salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let them drain for 20 minutes, then squeeze them firmly by the handful — a soggy filling is the one thing that ruins this pastry.
2. Warm the drained apples in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until the last of the moisture cooks off and they smell faintly caramelized. Cool slightly.
3. Stir the cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, breadcrumbs, lemon zest and lemon juice into the apples. The breadcrumbs absorb any juice that escapes during baking and keep the layers crisp.
4. Heat the oven to 375°F and butter a 9-inch round cake pan or ovenproof skillet.
5. Lay two sheets of phyllo on the counter with a long edge facing you, brushing between and on top with melted butter. Spoon a quarter of the apple filling in a line along the long edge, leaving a 1-inch border.
6. Roll the phyllo away from you into a long, loose rope, then coil it into the center of the buttered pan. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling, coiling each new rope around the last to build a spiral that fills the pan.
7. Brush the whole surface generously with the remaining butter and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the coil is deep golden and crackling and the edges have pulled slightly from the pan.
8. Cool at least 20 minutes before cutting — the filling needs to set — then dust heavily with powdered sugar and cut into wedges following the spiral.
9. Placinta is Romania's everyday pastry, older than the country's modern borders and adapted in every region: sweet with apples or cherries in Transylvania, savory with salty telemea cheese in the south. The coiled spiral shape, borrowed from centuries of Ottoman influence, is more practical than decorative — it lets a home baker fill and roll in small manageable batches rather than wrestling one enormous sheet. Late August is the first serious apple week of the year, when tart early varieties come in firm enough to grate without turning to sauce, and Romanian kitchens start their long autumn run of placinta.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 340 kcal
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 43g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 24g
• Sodium: 150mg