Pliatsky
Pliatsky (пляцки): Galician tray cake of shortcrust, apple, blackcurrant jam and walnut meringue
UkrainianWalk into any Lviv cukiernia and the glass counter is lined with pliatsky, the flat tray cakes Galicians buy by the square for Sunday coffee and name-day visits. This one is a house favourite across the region: a crumbly butter shortcrust spread with sharp blackcurrant jam, piled with cinnamon apple and topped with a crisp-crusted, marshmallowy walnut meringue. Each slice should have three distinct layers that still look neat when cut. Serve at room temperature with coffee or a glass of cold milk. The classic error is putting raw, juicy apple straight on the pastry, which turns the base soggy; cook it briefly first and let it drain. Chef's tip: grate half the cold butter into the flour rather than rubbing it in, and the base bakes up short and sandy like the ones from the Lviv cake shops.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the shortcrust
- 12 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 oz buttercold
- 2 tbsp sour cream
For the apple layer
- 2 ⅝ lb tart applespeeled, cored and coarsely grated
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 ½ oz blackcurrant jam
For the meringue
- 6 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 2 ½ oz walnutsfinely chopped
To finish
- 1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 12 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3 ½ oz sugar and 1 pinch salt in a bowl. Grate in the cold 7 oz butter and rub with your fingertips until it looks like coarse sand.
6 minStep 2: Add 4 egg yolks and 2 tbsp sour cream and bring together quickly into a soft dough without kneading. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
32 minStep 3: Meanwhile, put 2 ⅝ lb tart apples, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a wide pan and cook over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until soft and most of the juice has evaporated. Tip into a sieve to drain and cool.
10 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line a 25 × 35 cm baking tray with deep sides with baking paper.
2 minStep 5: Press the dough evenly into the tray with your fingers, prick all over with a fork and bake for 15 minutes, until pale gold at the edges.
15 minStep 6: Spread 5 ½ oz blackcurrant jam over the hot base, then cover with the drained apple in an even layer.
3 minStep 7: Whisk 4 egg whites in a clean bowl to soft peaks, then add 6 ½ oz caster sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking on high until the meringue is stiff and glossy and you cannot feel any grains when rubbed between your fingers. Fold in 1 tbsp cornflour and 2 ½ oz walnuts.
8 minStep 8: Spread the meringue over the apples right to the edges and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is light beige and crisp to the touch.
33 minStep 9: Cool completely in the tray, at least 1 hour, then cut into squares with a hot wet knife and dust with 1 tbsp icing sugar if you like.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pliatsky take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 70 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.
- 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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