COOKING WITH APPLES

 

                                 

 

The apple tree, Malus Domestica, is a tree of the rose family that is known for its delicious fruit, the apple. It is a native of Europe and Asia where it had grown for thousands of years and was introduced to other countries by European colonists.

 

The apple has religious, mythological and cultural symbolisms and connotations.

 

                                       Fall of Adam And Eve by Michaelangelo  

According to Genesis, the serpent tempted Eve who seduced Adam into eating the forbidden fruit thus causing their expulsion from Paradise that brought all ills that harass mankind.

 

 

                                        The Judgement of Paris by Botticelli  

 

In Greek mythology a golden apple which was offered to the most beautiful woman of the world was indirectly the cause of the Trojan war. 

 

Aphrodite the goddess of love tricked Paris by offering him in exchange for an apple the most beautiful woman in the world.  Helen the wife of Menelaus the king of Sparta met Paris and they fell madly in love, boarded a ship and left for Troy.  According to Homer, Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon that they should retaliate, so the Greeks sailed for Troy, and after a horrible 10-year war, the Greek troops won and brought Helen back to Greece, 

 

Apples are considered very healthy.  Apparently, the phytonutrients contained in apples regulate our blood sugar and the polyphenols act as antioxidants that benefit our cardiovascular system and prevent heart attacks.  According to recent studies, they might have the ability to lower the risk of lung cancer.  So certainly, eat an apple a day (that) keeps the doctor away. 

 

Here are a few recipes for cakes and desserts made with apples:   

   

 

                                               MARY’S APPLE CAKE            

My very dear friend, Mary Xenakis used to prepare this delicious apple cake when we first started learning bridge so many years ago.

 

112.5 g (1/2 cup) butter or margarine

400 g (2 cups) sugar

2 eggs

260 g (2 cups) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ginger powder

½ tsp grated nutmeg

4 small apples, peeled, cored and thinly diced

75 g ( ½ cup) coarsely chopped walnuts dusted with a little flour

 

Sift the flour with baking powder and spices.  In a large bowl mix the butter with the sugar and eggs, until just combined, then fold in the flour mixture.  Finally, stir in the apples and walnuts until just combined.

Spoon the batter into a buttered Pyrex dish, level the surface with the back  of a wet spoon and bake in a moderate oven preheated  to 180 C (350 F) for about an hour and remove from the oven to cool.

 

 

                                                  UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

 

This cake can also be prepared with fresh  peaches or tinned pineapple slices.

 

Topping

170 g ( ¾ cup) butter, softened

150 g ( ¾  cups) sugar

1 tsp cinnamone

Grated nutmeg to taste.

3-4 apples, acording to size, peeled, cored and sliced

 

Cake:

4 eggs, separated, whites whipped to the soft pe  ak stage with a pinch of salt

200 g (1 cup) sugar

130 g (1 cup) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

 

First prepare the topping.  Place the butter, sugar and spices in a baking dish, in a warm oven. When the butter melts remove the dish from the oven and stir until well combined. Cover with the sliced apples, slightly over-lapping each other, forming neat circles and set aside.

 

For the cake beat the egg yolks with the sugar together until light and fluffy.  Mix the flour with the baking powder and spices and sift over the egg mixture, a little at a time, stirring gently with a rubber spatula.  Finally, gently fold in the whipped egg whites.  Pour the batter over the apples, level the surface with a wet spoon and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 45-50 minutes.  Remove from the oven, cool for 10 minutes and reverse over a round serving dish.

 

                                         

                                                       APPLE PIE

This is a recipe for one of the best apple pies, use hard aromatic apples for the best results.  As the ingredients are measured by volume and not by weight, I use a 250 g (8 oz) tub of margarine and I use the same for the other ingredients

 

6 apples, peeled, cored and finely diced

The juice of ½ a lemon or more if preferred

 

Crust:

1 tub margarine

1 tub sugar

1 tub self-raising flour

A pinch of salt

 

Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice and arrange evenly in a Pyrex dish.  Whip the margarine, sugar and salt until light and fluffy and fold in the flour.   This is a batter not a dough, so spoon over the apples without leaving gaps in between and level the surface with a wet spoon.

 

Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 45-50 minutes until the crust is crisp and golden.

 

 

                                         APPLE SAUCE MUFFINS

 

These are very popular and healthy cup-cakes.  Brush the sockets of a cupcake tin with melted butter.

 

260 g (2 cups) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon powder

½ tsp grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp powdered cloves

½ tsp ginger powder

¾ cup raisins

 

2 tbsp sunflower oil

150 g (¾ cup) brown sugar

62.5 g (¼ cup) apple sauce

125 ml (½ cup) milk

2 large egg whites, stiffly whipped with a pinch of salt

 

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).  Stir all the dry ingredients well together and add the raisins. 

 

Whip the sugar and oil together and stir in the apple sauce.  Add the dry ingredients in three doses alternately with the milk. Fold in the egg whites, very gently.  Half fill the prepared sockets of the cupcake tins and bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed a golden.