Lenja pita
Grated apple pie
Serbian and Bosnian 'lazy pie' of grated apple between soft pastry
The name means 'lazy pie', and that is the point: unlike the paper-thin pies of Serbia and Bosnia, lenja pita needs no stretching of filo, just two sheets of soft short pastry and a thick layer of grated apple with cinnamon. Home cooks in Belgrade and Sarajevo make a tray of it on autumn weekends, for name days and slava visits, and cut it into squares dusted with icing sugar to serve with Turkish-style coffee. The pastry is tender and crumbly, the apple soft, sweet and sharp. Putting the grated apple straight onto the pastry is the error to avoid: it floods the base, so squeeze it and cook it down first. Chef's tip: mix sour and sweet apples and leave the skins on a few of them for more flavour.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 16 oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 oz buttersoft
- 2 eggs
- 2 ⅛ oz plain yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling
- 2 ⅝ lb applesa mix of sharp and sweet, peeled and coarsely grated
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 ⅛ oz ground walnuts (optional)
To finish
- 3 tbsp icing sugarfor dusting
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Squeeze the grated 2 ⅝ lb apples in your hands to remove most of the juice. Put them in a wide pan with 3 ½ oz caster sugar, 2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp lemon juice and cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the liquid has gone. Cool.
10 minStep 2: Mix 16 oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 3 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 pinch salt. Add 7 oz butter, 2 eggs, 2 ⅛ oz plain yogurt and 1 tsp vanilla extract and work into a soft, smooth dough. Halve it and chill for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line a 25 × 35 cm tin with baking paper.
Step 4: Roll one half of the dough on floured baking paper to fit the tin and lift it in. Sprinkle with 2 ⅛ oz ground walnuts, if using, then spread the cooled apple evenly over it.
Step 5: Roll the second half of the dough and lay it on top; patch any tears, as this pastry is forgiving. Prick the top all over with a fork.
Step 6: Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and springs back when pressed lightly.
45 minStep 7: Cool in the tin, dust with 3 tbsp icing sugar and cut into squares. It keeps for 4 days in a cool place.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lenja pita take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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