Recipe: Old World Apple Cake

I've always thought that October is the best month in which to have a birthday. The air is crisp but still carries hints of the summer gone by. The trees, parks and wooded paths are colored in various shades of greens, yellows, oranges and browns. Тhen there are the numerous seasonal items like squash, sweet potatoes and, of course, apples. And with apples comes the best game ever for a kid's birthday party: apple dunking (or bobbing)!

For those who aren't familiar with this, imagine a big barrel or ivar-making-tanger (танџер) filled with water and dozens of bright red harvest apples bobbing on the surface. Then the children hold their hands behind their back and try to pick up an apple with just their mouth. :::giggle:::


[Apple-dunking picture source:
http://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/apple_day/ ]

Unless there's a decent stem, the participants will end up dunking their entire heads all the way in to wedge an apple against the bottom and sink their teeth in. Coming up they send splashes of water onto everyone within a 5 foot radius. They are soaking wet from head to torso but with a triumphant apple-filled smile. Ahhh... memories. :) (My Macedonian friends are probably cringing at this moment at the image of children being outside with wet hair in October.)

Now a days I don't go dunking for apples anymore (though the kid in me would love to!) instead I bake. And that's just what I did this weekend with the big bag of organic apples that a friend gave to me on my birthday last week. It's an old family favorite of mine and a gem I thought worth sharing. It's from my Mom's well-worn and loved 1966 copy of the Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery (Vol. 1, Fawcett Publications, Inc., New York, 1966, pg. 102).

Old World Apple Cake

Ingredients for Filling
3 Pounds cooking apples
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 slices of lemon

Ingredients for Pastry
2 Cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift before you measure)
1-1/3 cups sugar (about)
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 egg yolks (room temperature)

Method

Peel and slice apples. Cook with sugar, water and lemon until tender but not mushy. Drain and cool. Remove lemon slices.

Mix flour, 1-1/4 cups sugar and baking powder. Cut in 1/2 cup butter with pastry blender or work in with fingers until mixture is crumbly. Mix in egg yolks. Reserve 1 cup four mixtrue for top. Pat remainder on bottom and sides of greased 9-inch spring-form pan. Fill with apples; sprinkle with reserved topping; dot with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake in preheated moderate oven (350F) for 1 hour. Serve warm or cold. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

OK, now for my Macedonian friends who have asked me for this recipe...сега ке пробам да ви го кажам рецептот на Македонски (благодарам на моите учителки кои што ме помогнаат со овој рецепт).

за полнење
3 кила јаболка за печење
1/3 шолја шеќер
1/2 шолја обична вода
2 парчиња лимон

Излупете ги и сечете ги јаболката. Ги варете сите парчиња со шеќерот и лимонот ċе додека не омекнат. Исушете ги и се изладете ги. Вадете ги парчињата од лимон.

процедно (за тесто)
2 шолји приближно брашно
1-1/3 шолји шеќер (околу)
1-1/4 мала лажица пециво (прашок за печиво)
2/3 чаша путер или маргарин (околу)
2 жолтчки (соба темпетура)

Загрејте ја рерната на 177°с.

Во среден сад го мешате брашното, 1-1/4 чаши од шеќерот и пецивото. Само 1/2 чаши од путерот го сечете заедно во смесата со вилушка. Додадете ги жолтчките во садот со смесата и мешајте дури не стане хомогена смеса. Ставете една чаша од смесата на страна и ставете го другиот во една тава. Ставете ги јаболките или овошјете од ваш избор и на крајот ставете ја смесата на врвот на обошјето. Сега, со голема лажица, ставете го шеќерот на врвот. Печете ја тортата на 177°с за еден саат.

Prijаtno јадење! And have an enjoyable and color-filled fall season! :)