Traditional Czech Žemlovka: Apple Bread Pie with Quark and Raisins

Traditional Czech žemlovka:
Apple bread pie with quark and raisins

Krystal Mozaika Bistro
Chef: Vratislav Kučera

In Krystal Mozaika, where we cook authentic Czech cuisine with a French charm, I have decided to revamp a traditional simple recipe for žemlovka – an apple bread pie with quark and raisins.

Many diners dislike this dish from school cafeterias, and our goal is to make it a sought-after treat again. I first tasted this delicious dessert, that may as well be served as a main dish, from my grandmother. Over time I replaced the classic veka (Czech-style French bread) for sandwich bread that gives žemlovka a smoothness and brittleness.

15 minutes preparation, 45 minutes baking.

Serves 6:

250g sandwich bread
500g full-fat quark cheese
1.5kg apples
2 eggs
500ml whipping cream
200g sugar
100g vanilla sugar
raisins
cinnamon
rum
butter

Soak the raisins in rum. Peel and core the apples, grate them in thick chunks. Melt the butter in a pan, add the apples, cinnamon, half of the sugar, and half of the vanilla sugar and stew for a while. Take the baking form – a higher edge tin is the best – and fit the baking paper inside. Mix the quark (tvaroh) with eggs, the rest of sugar, and the rest of vanilla sugar.

Pour the cream in a bowl and dip the sandwich bread slices in. Layer the ingredients in the tin – first layer is the quark, then the dipped bread, stewed apples, raisins and repeat. Each layer should be glazed with melted butter.