Pie with Dried Apricots and Prunes
Crumbly, layered, rich - simply a firework of flavor. A three-layer pie with prunes, dried apricots, and nuts is a well-known bake of Tatar cuisine. It uses a rather unusual shortcrust yeast dough that rises well while staying crumbly and tender.
Updated : 23 March, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
Dough
350 grams
Wheat flour
120 milliliters
Milk
150 grams
Butter
5 grams
Dry yeast
2 tablespoon
Sugar
0.5 teaspoon
Salt
Lemon filling
2
Lemon
100 grams
Sugar
1 tablespoon
Cornstarch
50 grams
Walnut
Dried apricots filling
200 grams
Dried apricots
1 tablespoon
Lemon juice
50 milliliters
Water
1 tablespoon
Sugar
Prune filling
200 grams
Prunes
1 tablespoon
Lemon juice
50 milliliters
Water
1 tablespoon
Sugar
Streisel
40 grams
Wheat flour
30 grams
Butter
40 grams
Sugar
20 grams
Walnut
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you bake a three-layer pie with prunes, dried apricots, and nuts in the oven? Prepare all the necessary ingredients. The dough will be shortcrust, but with yeast. So take the butter out of the refrigerator in advance; it should be soft. Wash the lemons well and dry them thoroughly. Soak the dried fruit in warm water for about 10 minutes, then rinse under running water. Spread them between napkins or paper towels so the excess moisture is absorbed. Wash and dry the shelled nuts as well.
Step 2
How do you make the dough? Heat the milk so it feels warm to the finger but not hot, about 38-40°C (100-104°F). Pour the warm milk into a large cup or bowl, add the sugar and dry yeast. Stir and leave in a warm place without drafts for 15-20 minutes to activate. If a foamy cap does not appear, the yeast is not active and should be replaced. Pour the ready sponge into a bowl for kneading the dough. Gradually add the sifted flour mixed with salt, stirring the dough with a sturdy spatula.
Step 3
At the end of kneading, add the soft butter and quickly mix it into the flour. I do this with cold dry hands, first in the bowl and then on the table. You may need a little less or a little more flour depending on its properties.
Step 4
You will get an elastic, almost uniform dough that does not stick to your hands. Shape it into a ball, transfer it to a clean bowl, cover with a towel, and leave it to rise for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, until ready. Put it in a warm place. I leave it in an oven switched off but prewarmed to 40°C (104°F), on the lower rack.
Step 5
How do you make the lemon filling for the pie with dried apricots, prunes, and lemon? Grate the zest from the lemons without taking the white layer. Then remove all the remaining white part, because it is what gives bitterness. Remove the seeds from the lemons. Blend the chopped lemon with sugar in a blender. The mixture will be rather liquid; transfer it to a saucepan with a thick bottom. Pour a few spoonfuls of the juice into the starch, stir it in a separate cup so there are no lumps, and return it to the saucepan.
Step 6
Heat the lemon mixture over the lowest heat, without letting it boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened; this happens quite quickly. The lemon filling is ready when a groove made by the spatula holds its shape. Remove from the heat and cool, stirring. Be sure to taste it and adjust the amount of sugar if needed. The cream should not taste bitter. Cover it with plastic wrap.
Step 7
How do you make the dried fruit filling for a pie with prunes and dried apricots? In separate bowls, grind the prunes and the dried apricots in a meat grinder. Then add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or a little less concentrate to each bowl. Pour in a little water, just enough to make a thick puree, not a runny one. Add sugar to taste and adjust it, then mix until smooth. You should like the taste of the filling from the start; it will not change during baking.
Step 8
Prepare the ingredients for the streusel topping. The butter should also be soft. Make the topping, the crumbly sprinkle for the top. To do this, grind the walnuts very finely in a blender.
Step 9
Sift the flour into a bowl, add the sugar and the ground walnuts. Add the soft butter and rub everything together with your hands.
Step 10
You should get crumbs like these. They should not be completely uniform; it is good when there are clumps of different sizes, because that will look beautiful on the pie.
Step 11
By this time, my dough had already risen and almost doubled in size.
Step 12
Turn the dough for the three-layer pie out onto the table; it does not stick, so do not add flour. While gently kneading it, shape it into a loaf. Divide the dough into 4 parts, one larger and 3 approximately equal.
Step 13
Grease a baking pan, mine is 20 cm, about 8 inches, in diameter, with soft butter, dust it with flour, and shake off the excess. From the largest part of the dough, form the base with a rim about 5 cm, about 2 inches, high. You can roll out the dough or gently stretch it with your hands into a circle. Try to keep the thickness even, about 0.7 cm, about 0.3 inch. Spread the prune filling on the bottom and distribute it evenly with a spoon.
Step 14
Cover the prunes with the second round of dough. Spread the dried apricot layer on top of the dough.
Step 15
Cover the dried apricot layer with the third part of the dough. Spread the lemon cream on top, then generously sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Step 16
Place the last, fourth round of dough on top and, pressing lightly, remove any trapped air. Pinch the edges and make holes with a fork for steam to escape so it does not puff up during baking. Let the pie rest while the oven heats. First bake at 80°C (175°F) for 30 minutes. Then increase the temperature to 190°C (375°F), remove the pie, and spread the crumb topping evenly over the whole surface.
Step 17
Then bake until done for about 45 minutes. The time given is approximate, so rely on the way your oven works. The top browns quickly, so be sure to cover it with foil. Remove the foil about 10 minutes before the end. Mine baked for almost 1 hour. Check for doneness with a dry skewer. Cool the pie in the pan, then remove it. It is best to cut the pie after it has cooled. Enjoy your meal!
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