Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Liz]

Hope you like it.....takes a bit of work.

[Liz]

Production number cake but makes a lot of servings brimming with apples.
Almond-scented cake batter, filled with sliced tart apples, topped w/ rich
crumb topping. Baked cake has crunchy top, pudding-like interior.

Apple Almond Crumb Cake / Salted Caramel Sauce

PREP Sprinkle sliced almonds on lightly greased 10" springform. Shake out; reserve for garnish.

BATTER ING cup Almond Paste 1/2 cup sugar 4 oz softened unsalted butter, 2 Tb lemon juice 1 tsp vanilla 3 eggs cup flour 2 large apples, peeled/cored/sliced thinly

BATTER METHOD elec/mixer/paddle 2 min Almond Paste, sugar. Add butter, l/juice, vanilla extract. When smooth, add 3 eggs, singly. Add flour/blend well. Fold in sliced apples. Scrape into pan. Smooth the top. Scatter crumb topping evenly. Sprinkle w/ sliced almonds. Bake 375 deg 30 min. Reset to 325 deg; bake til evenly browned 20-30 min; cool 5 min in pan; then unmold onto rack.

SERVE wedges w/ spoonful of sour cream, drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce.

=============================================

Salted Caramel Sauce: Stir/dissolve on med cup sugar, 1.4 c water and 2 tb light corn syrup. Brush side sugar crystals w/ pastry brush dipped in water. Raise heat high; cook to deep amber. Immediately set offheat. Pour in 3/4 c h/cream, 4 tb sweet butter, 1 1/2 tsp sea salt; carefully whisk smooth.

Salted Carmel Sauce Ing: 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup 3/4 cup heavy cream 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Crumb Topping: elec/mixer/paddle flour, almonds, br/sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt til dry and crumbly.

Crumb Topping Ing: 1/2 sliced natural almonds 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup almonds, chopped 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed 5 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground 1/4 teaspoon salt

[Liz]

Reminds me of Pollock's paintings, dripping paint on sailcloth.
But this guy used a fire extinguisher.

Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered 3 by Lucien Smith
Photographer: CLX Europe

From the series Smith made by spraying more than 200 canvases with paint
from a fire extinguisher; estimated at $12,000 to $18,000. A bigger spray
work sold for $372,120 two years ago. Now going for 7,000 dollars. (From
recent article about the collapse of the art market.)

[miss marmelstein]

LOL!

Since we’re doing apples, I’m going to chime in with that New York Times Plum Torte recipe that is the most popular recipe in the history of the Times. It can be made with apples. I’ll leave the conversion to you guys.

I made this over the weekend for the first time. Absolute child’s play but the result is so delicious and so elegant your guests will kvell!

Plum (Apple Tort)

Set oven to 350 degrees.

3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of softened butter
1 cup of sifted flour
1 t of baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
24 halves of stone fruits (plum) or equivalent of apple pieces

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, salt & eggs and beat well.

Spoon the batter into a springform pan (8, 9, 10 inch - I used a 9 inch and it had a bit of height). Place the fruit on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for about 40 minutes (the one hour time given was way too much). Continue cooking if still wet. Remove and let cool a bit.

I sprinkled confectioner’s sugar on top. Serve!

The recipe makes clear this should be refrigerated when not being served.

Tastes even better the next day!

[Liz]

Great recipe....thanks.

[miss marmelstein]

Do you know it? You can knock it out in an hour and your friends and family will thank you for it.

[Liz]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

[miss marmelstein]

Yes, that’s it. One mistake I made with the 24 halves is that I put them on in a decorative manner and didn’t have room to put them all on. So it wasn’t quite as juicy and dripping as it is in this photo. This week, I’ll just get all of them on, hook or crook.