Let's find out how to prepare the historic recipe for pastila, a Russian dessert loved by Dostoevsky, which transforms apples into marshmallows
@Sergey Ryzhov/123rf
In the Russian aristocratic evenings of the XNUMXth century the pastila was much appreciated afternoon snack. It's about a historical Russian recipe which transforms apples into “marshmallows”, which has returned to the fore in recent years thanks to the growing interest in the recovery of traditional recipes. Easy to prepare and very good. Dostoevsky loved it too!
Today Kolomna and Belyov are the most famous cities for the production of pastila, whose name apparently derives from the Slavic "postel" which means "bed", indicating the appearance of the dough. And it is also possible to find it online, although it is not even comparable to the homemade or artisanal version.
A few natural ingredients are enough to make it, including apples. Actually, Antonovka apples, a particularly unripe variety from Central Russia, would be needed. For us, other types are also fine, but it is preferable to opt for the more acidic ones such as Granny Smiths. In fact, unripe apples contain more pectin, which contributes to making the dessert chewy at the right point.
The first step of the recipe involves cooking the apples, which are then blended in order to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Then add sugar and egg white and whip the mixture, which is spread on a baking sheet and baked for several hours. Finally, it is necessary to fill with the mixture set aside and put back in the oven. The result is a soft and delicious dessert, similar to a marshmallow but not so chewy. And to think that once cooked apples were "blended" by hand. A decidedly long and laborious job.
The traditional recipe
There is no denying it, pastila is a dessert that requires time and effort, so if you want to try to make it, arm yourself with patience. Here she is prescription proposed by Atlas Obscura.
Ingredients
- 6 large apples (Antonovka or Granny Smith)
- ¾ cup of sugar
- 2 whites
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Method
First you have to preheat the oven, wash the apples and place them on a baking sheet adding a little water to the bottom. Apples should be cooked at 180 ℃ for about an hour.
After letting them cool, you will have to pour them into a bowl and blend them without removing the skins and cores until you get a soft and seedless puree. Whip the mixture, to which you have added the egg whites and icing sugar, for about ten minutes.
Preheat the oven to 100ºC, pour the mixture obtained, which should be similar to a white foam, into a baking tray lined with baking paper. Keep some of the mixture aside and put it in the fridge.
Bake for 4-6 hours, then take the pastila out of the oven and let it cool completely. With a knife that you have dipped in hot water, cut the pastila into 3 identical parts, stack them and pour the mixture stored in the fridge between one slice and another.
Take a baking tray lined with parchment paper again, place the pastila in it for an hour and a half. Remove from the oven and let cool. Add the icing sugar and cut it into pieces to serve with the tea. You can keep it in a sealed container.
SOURCE: Atlas Obscura
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