By Natalia Gill, from An Appetite For Joy
Imagine the bold, pure taste of apple presented in a wafer-like crisp. Apple pastila, the latest gift idea in this year’s 12 Days of Christmas Series, is a lightly sweet, Russian confection that is easy to make (though it takes a while to dehydrate in the oven). Its unique taste is surprisingly fresh and pleasant (and a little addicting!). It just happens to be grain free and dairy free too.
To make it, you’ll need two cups of your favorite applesauce, homemade or even store bought. Green apples, slightly underripe are best. This easy applesauce recipe yields two cups. This plum applesauce would be delicious as well.
The 200°F oven temp doesn’t officially cook the egg whites. Katie wrote a little about raw egg safety when she shared her delicious chai eggnog. Using good quality pastured eggs and giving them a wash in warm soapy water makes the risk very small, but there is always a risk. If you are uncomfortable with this risk see the notes in the recipe section below for how to make this candy at a higher temperature.
A little history
Apple pastila became popular in Kolomna, Russia (outside of Moscow), during the 18th century as a simple fruit leather to stretch the apple season. It was such a simple recipe that I’m sure it was present in other apple-growing regions as well. Later, egg white was added for a lighter texture. Now, different fruits, spices, and nuts are incorporated to make a variety of flavors. (In more recent years, pastila has been almost entirely eclipsed by a new variety of this style of dessert – the sweeter, marshmallow-like zephyr.)
Traditionally apple pastila is made in layered blocks or bars of varying denseness, but I like this easy 2-bite variation.
How to make apple pastila
Get your apple purée very smooth with a hand mixer or food processor. If it is unsweetened, add honey or sweetener of choice.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites til stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the applesauce.
Drop your apple mixture onto a silicone baking sheet (best option) or parchment paper. Use standard parchment, not a cutesie variety like this one, or it may stick! Learned the hard way.
Dehydrate in the oven, and you have some light and airy apple goodness, ready to be sprinkled with sugar and wrapped up for loved ones!
Looking for more holiday ideas? How about Chai Eggnog, DIY Mint Chocolate Lip Balm, Sweet and Spicy Candied Nuts, or Garam Masala Pickled Onions?
APPLE PASTILA (GRAIN & DAIRY FREE)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups unsweetened apple puree (preferably from green apples – see recipe idea here)
- 5 tablespoons of honey (or other sweetener, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional, see notes for alternatives)
- 2 egg whites, beaten stiff
Directions:
1) Make sure your apple purée is very smooth. I beat it with a handheld mixer for about 2-3 minutes.
2) Add honey and almond extract (or alternative flavorings in the notes). If your apple purée is cold, you may need to gently heat it to get the honey to incorporate.
3) Fold in the stiff egg whites. Drop by spoonfuls onto a pan lined with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper.
4) Dehydrate for 7-8 hours at 200°F. After turning it off, leave them in the oven overnight to cool. Enjoy as they are, or sprinkle on some powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. (I use unrefined powdered sugar at home and organic white powdered sugar when presenting as gifts.)
Notes:
Higher temp option: If you choose this method, please use a silicone baking sheet and not parchment paper or the pastila will stick. If you want to get your egg whites to a higher temperature, preheat the oven to 350°F. After making your apple mixture (through step 3 above), bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 200°F and continue to let them dry out for 3 hours. Leave in the oven (turned off) several hours (or overnight) to cool.
Flavoring options: In lieu of almond extract, you can use a little vanilla extract, cinnamon, or your own mix of spices and extracts that go well with apple.
- 2 cups unsweetened apple puree (preferably from green apples - see recipe idea here)
- 5 tablespoons of honey (or other sweetener, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional, see notes for alternatives)
- 2 egg whites, beaten stiff
- Make sure your apple puree is very smooth. I beat it with a handheld mixer for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add honey and almond extract (or alternative flavorings in the notes). If your apple puree is cold, you may need to gently heat it to get the honey to incorporate.
- Fold in the stiff egg whites. Drop by spoonfuls onto a pan lined with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper.
- Dehydrate for 7-8 hours at 200°F. After turning it off, leave them in the oven overnight to cool. Enjoy as they are or sprinkle on some powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. (I use unrefined powdered sugarat home and organic white powdered sugar when presenting as gifts.)
Flavoring options: In lieu of almond extract, you can use a little vanilla extract, cinnamon or your own mix of spices and extracts that go well with apple.
Latest posts by Natalia Gill (see all)
- “Busy Day” Asian Veggie Noodle Soup (Gluten & Grain-Free Options) - December 1, 2016
- Greek Sweet Potato Hash – $15 Meal from Trader Joe’s - March 31, 2016
- Apple Pastila (A Honey-Sweetened Confection) - December 9, 2015
Wow!! Beautiful and exciting to try something new. 🙂
Thank you.
I was wondering are they crispy or chewy?
Ellen, thank you! These are crispy, very light and airy. Almost hard to describe exactly! I made them once with a higher apple puree to egg ratio and they were more chewy. Pastila is a broad term that refers to anything from fruit leather to this.
What other fruits can I make this with? Mango? Passionfruit? or would it need pectin to be added?
Hi there. make this often not as these little bites though, look forward to trying this. I am writing in, as I am also a chef and thought I would mention salmonella cannot survive above 160 degrees. Drying this out at 200 degrees will definitely kill any harmful bacteria.