Pink Party Blog Challenge

Marye at Apron Strings & Simmering Things is hosting a Blog Challenge for the month of October to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation

To participate you need to post a PINK recipe on your blog between October 1 and October 31

You can find the rules to participate on Marye’s Blog.

This is a worthy cause to participate in, because breast cancer is one disease that affects so many women and their families.

A Nice Apple Cake

This is in fact a tart, and not just nice, but really wonderful, although I kept the name given to the recipe by its author, Mrs. Davidis.

It is simple to make and truly delicious: a buttery pastry shell topped with apples and almonds, combined in a delightful balance of tartness and sweetness.

This is my entry for the Apple Day Blog Event proposed by Zorra

The ROUNDUP is here–see all the great recipes that each participant contributed!

 

From the original recipe by Henriette Davidis

In “Henriette Davidis’ Practical Cook Book. Compiled For The United States From The Thirty-fifth German Edition” 1897–USA

Ingredients

Pastry:

2 cups(9 oz –255 g) all-purpose flour (unbleached)

1 cup ( 1/2 lb–2 sticks—-227 g) unsalted butter

3 tbsp (1 oz –28 g) sugar

2 tbsp (30 ml) cold water (or as needed)

Apple Topping:

5-6 tart apples (I used Granny Smith apples)

1/2 cup (100 g) white wine

1/2 organic lemon (juice and zest)

1/3 cup (30 g–1 oz) almonds, blanched and coarsely ground

flour

sugar

Preheat the oven to 325°F–160°C

Make the Pastry: Put the flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add the sugar and pulse briefly to mix it in, then add enough cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, processing briefly until the pastry comes together. Do not over process. Gather the dough in a piece of wax paper and let it rest in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator, for about 20 minutes. Then place the dough in a springform pan (10-inch–25 cm diameter), pressing it down with the tip of your fingers over the bottom and 1/3 up the sides of the pan to line the pan with a thin layer of pastry. Sift a thin layer of flour over the pastry shell, then place the pan in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the Apple Topping: Mix the wine, 1 tbsp of sugar, the ground almonds, the lemon juice and the grated lemon zest and set this mixture aside. Peel and core the apples, cut them in half, and with a sharp knife score each apple half on the round side with several thin parallel cuts that reach 2/3 of the way through. Dip each apple half in the wine mixture, then arrange the apples, cut side down, on the pastry shell. Spoon any remaining wine mixture on top of the apples, then sprinkle a very generous amount of sugar all over and between the apples.

Bake for at least 90 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the apples cooked. Take the tart out of the pan and let it cool on a rack.

It is important for the success of this recipe to bake the tart for a long time at a relatively moderate temperature, not above 325°F (160°C), on a rack placed in the upper third of the oven.

It is also important to sprinkle a layer of flour on top of the pastry before arranging the apples in the pastry shell. The flour will prevent the juices from running over.

Apple Day

A new blog event proposed by Zorra. Check her wonderful blog to find the information to participate.

Honey Cakes, No. 1

Honey cake is one of the traditional sweets served on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. This recipe is one of the best versions ever: it produces a moist, mildly spiced, golden cake with a deep honey flavor. It is best made one day ahead and it just improves over time.

Shanah Tovah–5768

From the original recipe by Florence Kreisler Greenbaum

In “The International Jewish Cook Book” 1919-USA

Ingredients

1 lb (1-1/3 cup–454 g) honey

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 tbsp (6 g) ground allspice (see note)

3 tbsp salad oil + extra for the cake pan

4 cups (1 lb–454 g) all-purpose flour

3 tsp (15 g) baking powder

 

 

Preheat the oven at 350°F (180°C). Generously oil a cake pan (I used a traditional Bundt® pan–if you prefer you can use two 5.4 x 9.1-inches loaf pans (13.6 x 23.2 cm).

Pour the honey in a pan, and warm it up, on low heat, taking care not to let it boil.

Beat the eggs with the granulated sugar at medium-high speed for 20 minutes, until light and pale yellow in color. Add the oil and beat until well incorporated.

Sift the flour with the ground allspice and the baking powder, then add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Finally add the warm honey and beat well.

The batter will be creamy and glossy and golden in color. Pour it delicately into the prepared mold(s) and bake for about 1 hour–a toothpick must come out clean when the cake is ready. Take care not to bake the cake at too high a temperature (not above 350F–180C) or it will brown too quickly on the outside and remain raw inside.

Let the cake cool in the pan placed on a rack for about 10 minutes. Then take it out of the pan(s) and let it finish cooling on the rack. When completely cold, wrap it in aluminum foil (not plastic wrap) or place it in an airtight container for one day before serving. It lasts a long time and improves.

Note: if possible, it is best to use whole allspice berries. Toast them lightly in a pan (not non-stick) on low heat stirring with a wooden spatula until the fragrance rises. Take immediately off the heat and let cool. When cold, grind the allspice berries in a spice or coffee grinder, then sift the spice powder into the flour using a fine strainer.