Ciasto Agrestowe
Gooseberry Pie
How to pronounce it?
chas-toh agresto-veh
‘Play’ to hear:
Not that long ago, gooseberries were grown in almost every Polish działka (allotment). Then sometime in the ’90s, they lost the popularity contest to softer berries. Their harvesting can be unpleasant too, thorns are spiking out of every branch. Plus not everyone is a fan of gooseberries’ thick and furry skin.
They can be peeled though, so I take this complaint as a sign of pure laziness (yes, mine too!)
In Poland, you’ll find them red, yellow and green. And while their colour differ, the flavour is pretty much the same.
Fresh gooseberries – straight off the bush – are the most delectable. They’re firmer and less tangy, a perfect addition to a summery fruit salad.
Gooseberry is also a fab little fruit for sauces, preserves and… baked desserts! And that’s what we’re gonna bake today: a Gooseberry Pie.
I served it warm, topped with some gooseberry jam and a dash of cream. Vanilla Ice Cream would work nicely as well. If you would like to give this lovely pie a try, the recipe is at the bottom of the post.
Gooseberry Taste
Smaller, unripe gooseberries are tart. Ripe gooseberries are softer and sweeter, but their fuzzy skin remains tangy. You can always peel them if you wish.
Larger berries tend to be sweeter than the small fellas.
Where to Buy Gooseberries?
🇵🇱 In Poland, while gooseberries are in season (late June, July, early August), you’ll find them easily at the produce stalls, farmer’s markets and even at supermarkets. They’re sold in 400-500g paper pulp containers or per kilo.
🌍 If you live in the UK, you’re in luck. Gooseberries are widely available, as they grow wonderfully on British soil. Sadly, in the United States, Canada and Australia they aren’t as common. If you can’t find them, try out gooseberry preserves or canned fruit. They’re delish!
Summery Gooseberry Pie
Gooseberry Pie is a perfect dessert that's equal parts sweet and tart. It's a flavour of the Polish summer!
Ingredients
Upper Lattice Crust
- 2 cups (250 g) flour
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup (10 tbsp, 75 g) powdered/icing sugar
- ¼ cup (half a stick; 55 g) butter
- 7 tbsp (100 g) sour cream (18% or thick natural yoghurt)
- 2 egg yolks
Pie Base
- 1¾ cup (220 g) flour
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar, granulated
- 1 stick (½ cup, 113 g) butter
- ¾ cup (200 g) sour cream (18% or thick natural yoghurt)
Fruit filling
- 10 oz (280-300 g) gooseberries, stemmed
Instructions
- Sift 2 cups of flour into a large bowl. Add half a teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt.
- In another bowl, place 10 tablespoons of powdered sugar and half a stick of butter. Mix it together, gradually adding 2 egg yolks and 7 tablespoons of sour cream as you go. This can be done with a fork, but using a hand-held mixer makes this process easier.
- Grease your hands with butter and knead contents of both bowls together, forming a dough ball. If the dough feels to sticky to handle, dust your work surface with more flour and keep on kneading.
- Wrap the dough ball in cling film. Leave in the fridge for an hour.
- Rinse gooseberries and remove blossom and stem ends. Set aside to dry.
- Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add all the ingredients in: half a teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt, 2 whole eggs, half a cup of sugar, 1 stick of butter and some sour cream (3/4 of a cup).
- Blend everything together into a batter (don’t worry if it looks gooey).
- Grease your cake tin with some butter (I used a round tin sized at 11 inch/28 cm, but a smaller one will work too).
- Sprinkle some flour onto greased cake tin. Pour the whole batter in.
- Place gooseberries on top, pushing them gently into the batter as you go.
- Preheat the oven: to 160°C (320°F) with fan assist, or to 180°C (360°F) without.
- Remove the dough ball (the one for the upper lattice crust) from the fridge, and roll it out. Aim for roughly 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) in thickness.
- Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or a pizza cutter, cut a number of thin strips. The exact thickness is up to you.
- Arrange the strips on top of the pie, creating a lattice. Trim the extra overhang with a sharp knife.
- Crimp the edges of the dough gently with your fingers.
- Place in the oven for 40 minutes. Set aside to cool or serve while still warm.
For the Upper Lattice Crust:
Handling the fruit:
For the Pie Base:
Putting it all together:
Notes
I've adapted this recipe from Paweł Małecki.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 135Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 97mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 2g
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Recipe Information
Filed under:
Alternative traditional/regional names:
Also known / Misspelt internationally as:
Agrestowiec, Tarta z Agrestem, Gooseberry Tart
Tested by:
First published on:
Recipe by / Adapted from:
Story by:
Bibliography / References:
