Topfen Apple Squares

Here’s a recipe from Oma’s kitchen. My mother in law makes these Topfen Apple Bars for nearly every occasion because they are quick and easy to make and everyone loves them! Topfen is the Austrian term for quark. You can read more about Topfen here.

Topfen works its magic in the dough of these squares, making the crust tender, flaky and just the tiniest bit tangy. The perfect crust to highlight the sweet apples.

I used Kronprinz Rudolf and Pink Lady apples for my Apple Squares. My two favorite kinds of apple. You can use as much or as little cinnamon-sugar as you wish, depending on how sweet or tart your apples are. I prefer more cinnamon-sugar.

Be sure to give the dough plenty of time to rest in the refrigerator or it will be too soft and sticky to work with.

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Topfen Apple Squares

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 36 squares

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup (250 g) flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 ¾ ounces (250 g) butter
• 8 ¾ ounces (250 g) topfen quark or farmer’s cheese
• 5-6 apples about 2 pounds or a little less than 1 kg
• 3-5 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar
• 1 egg for egg wash

Instructions

• Stir flour and salt together. Cut or rub in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the topfen and quickly knead everything together to form a ball of dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to rest for 30-60 minutes.
• Peel and core apples and slice thinly. (This works best with the slicing side of a box grater.)
• Divide dough into two halves. On a well-floured surface, roll out one half of the dough into a rectangular shape and lay it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Layer the apples over the dough and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Roll out the second half of the dough and lay it on top of the apples. Seal the edges and brush the top with beaten egg. Pierce the top all over with a fork. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 35 minutes, until golden brown. Use paper towels to absorb any juices from the apples that may have run out.
• Cut into squares and enjoy within a day or two.