Fruit Leather

Ingredients

• Antonovka apples 5 pieces
• Sugar 5 oz
• Egg white 1 piece
• Powdered Sugar to taste

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

Bake the apples in the oven at a temperature of 180–390°F for about half an hour. When the skin cracks and the apples become soft inside, remove them from the oven, allow to cool, peel off the skin and core, and transfer the flesh to a sieve.

Step 2

Thoroughly strain the apple pulp through a sieve into a clean bowl. If desired, you can use a blender, but this may leave small bits of seeds and tough skin in the puree. Therefore, it's more reliable to stick with the sieve — the traditional method.

Step 3

In the still warm apple puree, add 170 grams of sugar and mix thoroughly. Allow the puree to cool, then add the egg white. Whisk vigorously for five to seven minutes until you achieve a uniform white mixture. The volume of the mixture should increase two to three times.

Step 4

Transfer the resulting mixture into a heatproof dish (measuring 20×30 cm or a round dish about 23 cm in diameter), leaving approximately one cup for glazing the pastille. Place the dish in an oven preheated to 160°F for eight hours.

Step 5

Remove the mold from the oven, let it cool, and carefully lift the edges and bottom with a knife or spatula if necessary to transfer the sheet of set mixture onto a cutting board. Cut the pastille into equal rectangles using a sharp knife.

Step 6

Stack the rectangles on top of each other, spreading the reserved apple and egg white mixture between each layer (depending on the shape used, you may end up with three or even five to six layers). Dry in the oven for another two hours at 160°F.

Step 7

Remove the marshmallow from the oven and trim the uneven edges with a sharp knife to form a neat rectangle. Place powdered sugar in a bowl and coat the marshmallow on all sides. Shake off any excess powdered sugar.

Step 8

Place the finished pastila on a serving dish, slice it into thin pieces using a dessert knife, and serve it with milk or cheese alongside tea. At room temperature, the pastila remains soft for about two days, and sometimes even longer.