Grammy’s Apple Cake
My grandmother, Ruth Frumer, was greatly admired and appreciated for her mastery in the kitchen. This is one of my favorites from a book of handwritten recipes she made for me as I began my own domestic life.
Prepare and set aside:
3 or 4 medium apples peeled and slices as for pie (not too thin)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Cake batter:
4 eggs beaten thick and creamy
2 scant cups sugar
Beat together thoroughly
Add 2/3 cups vegetable oil blending well
Sift (or mix) together:
3 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Add to batter alternately with ½ cup orange juice
Add 2-1/2 tsp vanilla
Grease a large tube or Bundt pan (I use butter and a Bundt pan)
For Bundt pan: Place alternate layers of batter and prepared apples, beginning and ending with batter
For tube pan: Place alternate layers of batter and prepared apples, beginning with batter and ending with apples
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1-1/2 hours checking the last 20 minutes
Top should look well baked.
Rachel Veltman
Impress your family and friends with this picture perfect recipe from Melissa Graham, owner of Monogramme Events and president of Purple Asparagus, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing families back to the table.
Makes either 12 individual trifles using 2-ounce shot glasses or 1 large trifle
Ingredients:
White Chocolate Custard
¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
Pinch kosher or sea salt
2 large egg yolks
3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Raspberry Sauce (Optional)
½ pint raspberries
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Framboise (optional)
Trifles
1 loaf of pound cake (either store-bought or your favorite recipe – I use Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe from The Cake Bible)
½ pint raspberries
½ pint strawberries
½ pint blueberries
White Chocolate Custard: Combine milk and cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In the meantime, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Remove milk mixture from heat and add a little to the egg yolk mixture whisking continuously. Add yolk mix back into pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Once thickened, pour custard through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water and add to custard. Let cool to room temperature and chill in refrigerator.
Optional Raspberry Sauce: Combine ½ pint of raspberries, water, Framboise and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small saucepan and mash with the back of the spoon. Cook over medium-low heat until slightly thickened. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and let cool.
Assemble trifles: Rinse blueberries and raspberries. Hull strawberries and quarter or, if large, cut into eighths. Combine berries with raspberry sauce, if prepared. To make individual trifles, cut ½- inch slices of pound cake with a 1¼-inch round cutter. Layer one round on bottom of each shot glass, pour 1 teaspoon of custard on top and add a few berries. Repeat twice, top with a strawberry slice, a blueberry and a raspberry. For one trifle, cut ½ of the pound cake into ½-inch cubes. Layer trifle with cake, custard and berries. Enjoy!
Monogramme Events, LLC
www.monogrammeevents.com
www.purpleasparagus.com
773/991-1920
Dan Bobel, Goodness Greeness’ Director of Food Service, makes the most of the season with this great grill finale:
6 peaches just starting to ripen (firm not soft), peeled, halved and pitted
2 cups bourbon
2 cups evaporated cane juice
1 cup water
Bring bourbon, water and cane juice to a simmer in a medium sauté pan. When cane juice is dissolved, add peaches pit side down and let simmer very low for 35 minutes. Remove peaches from liquid and let cool. Peaches should be still firm. Have charcoal or gas grill on medium heat. Place peaches on rack closest to heat just to achieve grill marks on both sides. Reduce the liquid left in sauté pan to the consistency of maple syrup. To serve, place desired number of peaches in a small bowl, add a scoop of organic vanilla ice cream and top with reduced liquid. Enjoy!!!
