Apple pie with meringue and crumble

Making the Dough. Creamy butter, taken out of the fridge and allowed to melt until malleable, combine with the sugar. Knead thoroughly with a fork. Carefully separate the eggs into yolks and whites. Place the whites in the refrigerator. Add the yolks to the butter. Throw in a pinch of salt and stir together the butter-yolk mixture.

Gradually add flour and form a soft, pliable flour ball. Do not knead for a long time, you only need to bring all ingredients together to form a homogeneous dough, sticking to your hands. If the mass is sticky, add more flour.

Using your fingers, press the dough into the cake tin (diameter 24 cm). Tuck an even layer into the bottom, forming a rim about 2 cm high. If the mold is smaller, you can form a rim of 4 cm). Thickly pierce the base with a fork so that the cake does not puff up during baking, and then put it in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.

Now for the filling. Cut a thin layer of skin off the apples, remove the core. We slice them thinly, add cinnamon and sugar. Stir. Next, put the apple slices in a saucepan, add the soft butter, cinnamon and stir. Keep on low heat under a lid for about 5-15 minutes (time depends on the type of apples). The apple slices should soften slightly, but retain their shape

Take container with cooled dough out of fridge. Place in oven heated to 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Fill baked shortbread "basket" with apple filling.

Next, prepare the meringue. Whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft, whitened mass begins to form, then gradually pour in powdered sugar. Continue beating until stiff and at the end of the beating add the starch.

Spread the beaten whites on the cooled shortbread base with apples. Spread evenly, hiding the fruit filling under the puffy white layer.

Next, prepare the shortbread crumbs. Grate cold butter with flour and sugar until crumb is formed.

Then sprinkle crumb mixture on meringue and put apple pie in oven heated up to 140 degrees for about 60 minutes.

The apple pie with meringue and crumble is ready!