Bierzo's apple pie

 I don't know how many apple pie recipes there must be in the world, but they must be almost endless. It is by far the most popular cake in the United States and without apples we would not have cider or a healthy and affordable fruit, among other things.

The apples we eat originally come from the current border area between China and Kazakhstan, although for a long time it was believed that they came from the humid forests of central Europe where a species is still found in the wild (but that's not the ancestor). The apple does well in cold climates, so it is the ideal fruit for growing in North Asia, Europe and North America (where there is a true cult towards it).

In Spain, apples are produced both for direct consumption and to make beverages such as cider, to which a large part of the production goes. Most of the apple trees that are grown in Spain country are found in the north since it is a tree that needs plenty of water. 

As a curiosity to comment that the apple is free of toxins but its seeds, if chewed and ingested, combine with gastric juices to produce the deadly cyanide. Of course, you have to eat a lot of seeds and chew them, which is difficult due to how bitter they are. 

On the other hand, if you like apples and you have room in the garden, balcony or terrace to plant a tree, the most likely thing is that you will be disappointed because they will not bear fruit (no matter how much the little tree it already came from shop with two or three hanging fruits). It is not that it has become sterile or hates you, it is that for it to be fruitful it needs to be pollinated by insects that carry pollen from other apple trees. So if you only have room for one tree, do not plant apple or pear or almond trees (unless someone else has them in the area) and you better opt for citrus (lemon or orange trees) that are able to provide fruits without the help of another male or female tree. 

El Bierzo is one of those northern regions where the apple is the undisputed queen of its crops, specifically the Reineta variety. This recipe that I present to you, made with this variety, is very easy to make and avoids the use of pastry cream that sometimes people does not like.

If you do not have this veriety of apple, use another one not too acidic. 

INGREDIENTS :

• 4 or 5 large Reineta del Bierzo apples
• 200 grams (7 oz) of pastry flour
• 200 grams (7 oz) of white granulated sugar, the usual
• 4 eggs size L or XL (large)
• 40 grams (2 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
• 10 grams (half a tablespoon) of baking powder
• The juice of a lemon

Optional: jam to cover, with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, apricot ... to taste

First we mix the flour with the baking powder in a bowl.

With a whisk we beat the eggs with the sugar until it foams. Then we add the flour and yeast mixture, well sifted and little by little, without stopping beating. When we perceive that there are no lumps and the dough is homogeneous, we add the unsalted butter, beating again so that it is integrated.

We peel 3 apples of the 5 that we have and cut them into small pieces. As we cut them, we place them in a bowl with lemon juice so that they do not oxidize.

Once we have them cut, we integrate them into the flour and egg dough, mixing well. Then we incorporate them into a well greased (or silicone) round cake mold about 22 cm (8 inches) in diameter and at least 2 or 3 cm (1 inch) high. It will rise when you bake it, but not by much, so leave a couple of fingers margin to the edge.

We cut the other two apples into thin segments and we put them on the surface so that they cover it in its entirety. Remember to also bathe these segments with lemon juice or they will oxidize. Then if we want to paint the surface with liquid butter, so it will shine. It can also be painted with the yolk of an egg.

We preheat the oven to 180 degrees (356 F) and bake for about 40 minutes. Before extracting, we check that when puncturing a toothpick in the center it comes out dry. If this happens, remove from the oven and let it cool before unmolding. Otherwise we leave 5 more minutes before making a new check.

Once it is cold and unmould, it can be covered if you want with some kind of jam or jam.

It is a very special cake since, unlike the products you can find in the market, it is really full of fruit. Just by serving a cut and tasting it, you will realize it.