Dutch Appeltaart: Deep-Dish Lattice Apple Pie with Cinnamon, Raisins and Whipped Cream

Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the cold butter and rub in with your fingertips or pulse in a food processor until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.

Serves 12

Ingredients

• For the crust: 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups (285 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten (reserve 1 tablespoon for glazing)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the filling: 3 1/2 lb (1.6 kg) firm tart apples such as Goudreinet, Granny Smith or Braeburn (about 8 medium)
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2/3 cup (100 g) raisins, soaked 15 minutes in hot water or rum and drained
• 3 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs or crushed rusk
• Softly whipped cream (slagroom) for serving

Instructions

1. Make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the cold butter and rub in with your fingertips or pulse in a food processor until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
2. Add the beaten egg (minus the reserved tablespoon) and the vanilla and mix just until a soft dough forms. Pat into two disks, one about two-thirds of the dough and one about one-third. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Peel, core and cut the apples into 3/4-inch (2 cm) chunks. Toss in a large bowl with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch and lemon juice, then fold in the drained raisins.
4. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Butter a 9-inch (24 cm) springform pan.
5. Press the larger piece of dough over the bottom and about 2 inches (5 cm) up the sides of the pan in an even layer, using your knuckles to work it into the corner. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the base to absorb the apple juices.
6. Pile in the apple filling, pressing down firmly so there are no gaps; it will mound slightly above the rim of the crust and sink as it bakes.
7. On a floured surface, roll the smaller piece of dough to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) strips. Lay the strips over the apples in a lattice, pressing the ends into the side crust and trimming any excess. Brush the lattice with the reserved egg.
8. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until the crust is deep golden and the apples are tender when pierced through a lattice gap. If the top browns too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
9. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours so the filling sets, then release the springform ring. The taart slices most cleanly at room temperature.
10. Serve in thick wedges with a big spoonful of whipped cream and a cup of strong coffee. It keeps covered at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for 4.
11. Dutch appeltaart is one of the oldest documented apple pies in the world, with a recipe appearing in a Dutch cookbook as early as 1514, and it differs from its American cousin in nearly every way: a sturdy, cookie-like brown-sugar crust pressed into a tall springform pan, apples cut into chunks rather than slices, and a generous hand with cinnamon and raisins. It is the default order in Amsterdam's brown cafés, where a wedge the size of a doorstop arrives with met slagroom, a cloud of whipped cream. Baking one fills the house with warm spice for an afternoon and gives you the ultimate autumn dessert for a chilly weekend.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 480 kcal
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 21g
• Carbohydrates: 71g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 40g
• Sodium: 150mg