applicious

i had an aunt who was always in a rush, busy doing "things". who had time to waste, she would ask rhetorically when questioned why she was incessantly racing around. the joke was she was a disaster in the kitchen: she figured the higher the heat, the faster whatever she was making would cook. her quest to be uber-efficient led to many a burnt dish. of course, it wasn't her fault because "something must be wrong with the recipe" she'd utter (LOL). in her defense, however, there were a few things she made very well and what i am posting here was one of them.

this is a version of an apple cake she made during the holiday period which is now quickly coming upon us. everyone always loved it, especially while it was slightly warm. this rosh hashanah (or any day) cake is really ridiculously simple to make and requires one bowl and a pyrex (8 x 8 in) baking dish.

the texture of the cake batter — once baked — is airy soft. underneath it, and baked into the cake, is a layer of apples perfumed by cinnamon and flavoured with dollops of tart apricot jam and a spattering of brown sugar. as it bakes, you'll want to grab it from the oven and eat it right away .... guaranteed or your money back! :)

not much more to say than simple, quick and delicious for this one. the recipe can be doubled also and baked in a larger pan.

oops, forgot to add — for a sephardi version of this cake, you can do as we did and use fresh figs, stems trimmed and cut in half, instead of the apples. you will probably need between 12 to 15 figs, depending on the size of them. add 1 tbsp orange flower water instead of the vanilla.


gâteau express aux pommes

makes approx 9 servings

ingredients:

1/2 c oil
1 egg
1 c sugar
juice of a large orange
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 c flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or seeds of 1/2 vanilla pod

5 large apples, appropriate kind for baking*
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp apricot jam, slightly heaped**

*replace the apples with fresh figs, cut in half; enough to cover the bottom of the pyrex;
**you can use a sour cherry jam or a plum one.

method:

preheat your oven to 350F and grease your pyrex and set it aside.

place all the batter ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

stir or whisk the batter for about 45 seconds until it is blended.

make sure there are no lumps and set it aside to continue the recipe. it should be pourable.

take the apples and peel them. core and slice each apple thinly and place them in the pyrex.

dust about 1 tsp of cinnamon over the apples evenly.

place the brown sugar over the apples, distributing as you go, and then place dollops of the jam over the brown sugar.

stir the batter once more and pour it over the apples. make sure to get all the batter out of the bowl! you will see pieces of apple peaking through - that is how it is supposed to look.

bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes until it is fully golden brown. as it bakes you should see little areas where the juices from the apples, the brown sugar and jam are bubbling through.

it can be served warm or at room temperature.

enjoy!

.... on rosh hashanah it is written

according to the jewish religion, our names are inscribed into the book of life for the new year on rosh hashanah and our fate sealed on yom kippur — the day of atonement, the holiest day of our year, 10 days after rosh hashanah.

the next two days will be busy as jewish families gather, attend services at synagogues and of course, eat! i am leaving you with two recipes involving apples: one is a cake, the other what is called a pudding but is really more of a cake, best served warm.

amazing apple cake

based on recipe from Ohio caterers:
paula levine weinstein and julie komerofsky remer.

ingredients:

(note: original recipe was cloyingly sweet and much too dense; the reworked amounts make a much lighter and more appealing cake in terms of sweetness)

3 c AP flour
1 c vegetable oil
1/2 c 1 ¼ to 1 ½ c orange juice
(or ¾ to 1 c orange juice + 1/2 c applesauce)
1 tbsp baking powder
2 c 1 1/2 c sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt

4 - 5 6 -7 apples*, sliced (only use baking apples like macintosh)
1 ½ - 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
2/3 c granulated sugar

method:

you need three large bowls and a smaller one for this recipe.

peel apples and slice thinly, mix with 1 tbsp lemon juice in a large bowl. in another dish or small bowl, mix the 2/3 c. sugar with the cinnamon and set aside also.

mix dry cake ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. in another, mix the wet ingredients together. add the wet to the dry.

beat until smooth.

pour half the batter into a greased 10 inch tube pan with a removable bottom. you can also use a very large pyrex but keep an eye on the baking time.

sprinkle with a little less than 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar.

arrange half the apples with half of the juices, if any, then sprinkle with a little more cinnamon sugar. repeat layer again. the last half of the apples will be on top of the cake.

bake at 300 F for 90 minutes or longer until done. let cool completely as the juices from the apples need to be absorbed by the cake before being removed.

notes:

*this cake actually tastes better the next day; the juices from the apples flavour the cake further;

*you need to use apples which will break down while baking like macintosh apples (or other similar kinds; see apple info post for other varieties);

*this cake has to be baked in a tube pan or in a very large pyrex.

this recipe is named for the connection with the apple & the garden of eden, and is from british cookery author Evelyn Rose:

eve's "pudding" [a light, saucy apple cake]

1/3 c soft margarine [or butter]
1/3 c sugar
1 1/4 c self-raising flour [see note in post about israeli honey cake]
pinch extra baking powder
2 eggs
1 tbsp water [or milk]

for the fruit:

4 large baking apples
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp water
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

preheat oven to 350F

peel and core the apples and slice thinly. place in a large bowl and acidulate with the lemon juice and water. add the sugar and cinnamon and stir to make sure everything is coated.

in another bowl, combine butter and sugar. add remaining ingredients and mix well. the batter will be thick.

in an 8 in well oiled baking dish, lay the apples down with any juices that are in the bottom. taking spoonfuls of the batter [grease your spoon and it will slip right off] over the apples. it may look like there is not enough but there is. taking a greased spoon again spread the batter all over the apples, don't worry if there are apples poking through or little spaces.

bake this for 45 - 50 minutes until browned and bubbling. serve warm.

see you on Monday.

shanah tovah — happy new year.

שנה טובה בריאה ומתוקה לכולם