Autumn Delights

Let’s cook Lithuanian

PLUM CAKE
Slyvų pyragas
1 stick ( ½ cup), plus 1 Tbsp. unsalted
butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
2 Tbsps. sour cream or yogurt (not non-fat)
2 tsps. vanilla
1 ¼ cups cake flour
½ tsp. each: baking powder, baking soda, salt 16 to 18 firm tart medium-size plums,
pitted, cut into ½-inch slices (or about 30 to 32 small plums, cut in half, pitted)
¼ cup sugar mixed with
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. chilled butter, cut into small bits
Heat oven to 300 ° . Beat 1 stick of butter, sugar and egg until light and fluffy with a mixer on medium speed; mix in sour cream and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to batter, mixing until smooth. Spread evenly in a greased 8-inch spring form pan. Arrange plums to cover surface (rounded side up for halved small plums). Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over plums. Scatter remaining butter (cut into chunks) evenly. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.

PUMPKIN/POTATO PANCAKES
Moliūgų sklindžiai su bulvėmis

1 lb. pumpkin, peeled and grated
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and grated
2 eggs
4 Tbsps. flour
1 onion, grated
¾ cup sour cream
Pinch of salt and pepper
Oil for frying
Mix together grated pumpkin,
potatoes, and onions, add flour,
pepper and egg yolks beaten with salt.
Blend well. Fold in stiffly beaten egg
whites, just before frying. Place
spoonfuls of mixture in hot oil, brown
on both sides. Serve with sour cream.
CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
Spanguolių pyragas
Cake
1½ cups cake flour
½ tsp. each: baking soda, salt
6 Tbsps. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup each: granulated sugar, packed
light brown sugar
2 large eggs
¾ cup sour cream (reduced fat or regular)
Topping
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1½ cups sugar
2 Tbsps. water
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed, picked over
Heat oven to 350 ° . For topping, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, water and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Stir in cranberries. Pour into generously greased 9-inch spring form pan; wrap outside with foil. Spread evenly. Set aside. For cake, sift flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar in bowl of electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. On low speed, add half of flour mixture. Mix until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add remaining flour mixture; mix until smooth. Transfer to pan. Spread evenly and place on baking sheet. Bake until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Run knife around edge to loosen cake. Invert onto plate. Remove foil, ring and pan bottom. Cake can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept at room temperature, covered airtight.

PLUM AND RASPBERRY CAKE
Slyvų ir aviečių pyragas

Cake
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
½ cup regular or light sour cream
2 tsps. vanilla extract
2½ cups cake flour
1 tsp. each: baking powder, baking
soda
½ tsp. salt
7 medium firm plums, cut into
½-inch-thick slices
2/3 cup raspberries
Topping
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
Heat oven to 350*. Beat butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs; mix until smooth. Mix in sour cream and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Add to batter; mix until smooth. Spread evenly in greased 10- inch-diameter spring form. Arrange plum slices evenly over surface. Scatter raspberries evenly over plums. Combine cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over fruit. Bake on baking sheet until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Batter will cover some fruit as it bakes. Cool at least 1 hour before serving. To serve, reheat in 300 ° oven until warm, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar, pressed through fine sieve, over cake. Serve with ice cream.