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–+ servings
Three slices of pastilla.

Pastila

A historic Russian recipe that transforms apples into a marshmallowy confection.
4.50 from 22 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
Total Time 9 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Russian
Servings 8 people
Calories 161 kcal

Equipment

  • oven
  • stand mixer

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Granny Smith apples large
  • 3/4 C. granulated sugar
  • 2 egg whites large
  • 1/2 C. powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

Apple Pureé

  • Preheat oven to 350˚F/177˚C.
  • Wash the apples and place them in a 9"x12" baking pan. Add 1 1/2 cups of water.
  • Bake for 1 hour or until the apples are saggy and soft when pierced with a knife. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Press the cooked apples through a strainer to remove the skins and cores.

Batter

  • Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and apple pureé.
  • Turn the mixture on medium-high speed and slowly add the sugar.
  • Continuing beating on medium-high speed for 10 minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Preheat oven to 180˚F.
  • Line a rimmed baking pan (a half-sheet or 2, quarter-sheets) with parchment including the sides.
  • Reserve 2 cups of batter for gluing the layers.
  • Spread the remaining batter into the lined pan(s) and smooth into an even layer.
  • Bake at 180˚F/82˚C for 4-7 hours or until the dry to the touch.

Assembly

  • Preheat oven to 180˚F/82˚C.
  • When the pastila is completely cool, gently peel the parchment paper away. If the pastry sticks to the paper use a spatula to gently scrape it off.
  • If using quarter-sheet pans cut each layer half for a total of 4 rectangles.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment and place one layer of pastila.
  • Scoop a couple of teaspoons of the reserved batter and with an off-set spatula spread it out evenly. Add another layer of pastila. Repeat for the remaining layers.
  • Coat the sides and top of the layered pastilla with any remaining batter.
  • Bake at 180˚F/82˚C for an hour and a half.
  • Cool completely.
  • Using a dampened knife and a sawing motion, slice the pastila into 1" wide slices.
  • Gently roll the pastila slices in powdered sugar. Serve with a cup of tea.
  • Store in an airtight container for a couple of days.

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 14mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 3gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 74IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
Keyword apples, dessert, marshmallow, pastila, Russian
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