Apple Pastila Recipe: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Sugar-Free Fruit Soufflé

Ingredients 500 g peeled tart apples 30 g food-grade gelatin 70 ml water (for simmering the apples) 150 ml cold water (for soaking the gelatin) Coconut flakes, for sprinkling (optional) A few drops of lemon juice (optional, for sweet apple varieties) Preparation Step 1. Pour the 150 ml of cold water over the gelatin and leave it to swell. Cut the peeled apples into cubes and place them in a saucepan with 70 ml of water. Simmer the apples over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the pieces are completely soft and release their juice. Step 2. Purée the hot apples with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth. Stir the swollen gelatin into the still-hot apple mass so that it dissolves completely, leaving no grains. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before whipping. According to confectioner Olga Efimova, this temperature step matters because the pectin in the fruit and the gelatin need to interact correctly once air is incorporated; a too-warm base would compromise the structure. Step 3. Once the apple base has cooled, whip it with a mixer for 15 to 20 minutes. The source describes a clear visual transformation during this stage: the mixture lightens to a near-white shade and grows to 2–3 times its original volume, becoming a thick foam that holds its shape well enough for the trails of the beaters to remain visible on the surface. As Olga Efimova explains, "prolonged whipping saturates the fruit base with oxygen, turning the dense purée into a fine-pored soufflé that literally melts in your mouth."