Russia · Sweet Dishes
Pastila (Russian Apple Pastila)
Pastila is an old Russian confection of baked apple purée whipped with egg white and sugar until pale and airy, then slowly dried into tender, marshmallow-like layers.
Ingredients
- apples1000 g
- egg white1 pcs
- sugar150 g
- powdered sugar3 tbsp
Method
- 1Halve the apples and bake whole-ish at 190°C for 25–35 minutes until completely soft. Baking rather than boiling keeps the purée pale and concentrates the flavor.
- 2Scoop out the flesh and pass it through a sieve or blend until perfectly smooth. Let it drain in a fine sieve for an hour so excess juice runs off — a drier purée dries faster.
- 3Whip the purée with the sugar and the egg white for about 10 minutes, until it pales, thickens, and roughly doubles in volume. Set aside about 4 tablespoons in the fridge for gluing the layers.
- 4Spread the whipped mass onto lined trays in an even layer about 1.5 cm thick and smooth the top.
- 5Dry in the oven at 70–90°C with the door propped open for 4–6 hours, until it's cream-coloured, no longer sticky, and holds its shape but stays flexible.
- 6Cool, peel off the paper (dampen it to help), and cut the sheet into equal pieces. Stack them, spreading a thin layer of the reserved purée between each, to build a layered loaf.
- 7Return to the oven at 70–90°C for another 1.5–2 hours to set, then rest 12 hours. Dust with powdered sugar and slice to serve.