Russian Apple Pie

My Russian boyfriend loves (!!!!) this--calls it Neighbor Charlotte--because you make it quickly for neighbors who drop in. I t's not a pie. Think uncomplicated, undersweet coffee cake--crunchy on outside, slightly doughy in the middle.It seems like people are overcomplicating this recipe. It is supposed to be peasanty simple. His mom's variation 1.5 cups sugar + 3 eggs, mix, 1.5 cups flour, mix just until combined. Pour in greased/floured pie pan. Peel/core 3 tart apples, cut into large chunks and press into batter. Bake@350 for 50 mins. If you add 1/2 c. milk, it is a Clafouty recipe (more custard-like than this recipe). If you arrange melon-balled apples neatly and then, after removing from oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar, it can come out a little more formal looking and good enough to take to a friend's house when you are invited over for casual supper.

I still can't believe that this recipe is so simple. It's so beautiful and tastes amazing! Please, for the sake of this recipe, do not attempt it if you are having a craving for traditional American apple pie. So many reviewers are getting so upset about the lack of sweetness and the "density" - your expectations are not fair for this dish. We Americans have a bad tendency to demand sweetness over flavor. Let the natural sugars in your apples shine for a change, and give it a chance on its own merits. I used 2/3 cup of sugar given that I had some very sour Granny Smiths, and added a touch of cinnamon, but those were the only changes needed to produce a perfect result. I recommend serving this at room temperature but I've tried it both cold and warm now and it's great either way! Thanks so much for this enjoyable dessert - I'll definitely be making it again!

An excellent authentic Russian recipe, pretty much exactly as my family makes it (called "Sharlotka" in Russian). As a personal preference, I substitute self-raising flour for the plain flour, and add a bit of cinnamon to the apples -- but there is absolutely no need to do this, it will work regardless. I tend to whisk the eggs separately and then mix the whole batter, apples and all. In response to previous reviewers: the amount of sugar is strongly dependent on the type of apples you use. Obviously, very sour apples require more sugar, sometimes as much as a full cup. For Granny Smith apples, 1/2 to 2/3 cup is plenty.

Fantastic and oh so easy. 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 flour, 1/2 cup sour cream. 3 apples peeled and large diced. Cooked in ceramic deep dish pie. This turns out like a apple custard pie/cake. The crust it makes on it's own is like carmilized sugar!

I made this on a whim because I wanted something sweet, that was't terribly difficult to make. This came out very nicely, aesthetically pleasing, and just sweet enough. I made a few tweaks... 3/4 cup sugar, 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup milk (skim), 4 eggs, 1 tsp. cinnamon. I also used Pink Lady apples, because that's all I had on hand. I added the extra egg and milk to make it more custardy, and went with krolek's suggestion of cooking it at 350 for 50 minutes. It turned out exactly as I wanted; it reminds me of a lighter bread pudding. This was so easy to make. I'll definitely be having a piece with my coffee tomorrow morning.