APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
Apverstas obuolių pyragas
1 cup sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus a little for sprinkling
½ tsp. cinnamon
8 Tbsps. butter
6 apples, peeled and cut into small sections
Juice of ½ lemon
Preheat oven to 350 ° . Sift together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until small crumbs form. Arrange apple sections in a circular pattern on the baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cover the apples evenly with the dough crumbs and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. After the cake has cooled, invert it on a platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. ** In another varia- tion of this cake, the baking dish is placed on the stove with a ½ cup of sugar and a little butter until the sugar becomes brown and caramelized. Then the apples are placed in it as described above. When the dish is inverted after baking, the cake has a nice caramelized look. Makes 5 to 6 servings.
APPLE FRITTERS
Obuolinės spurgos
2 large apples
2 tsps. sugar, divided
4 Tbsps. rum or brandy, divided
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
¾ cup flour
¼ cup milk
4 Tbsps. butter
Confectioners’ sugar or whipped
cream for garnish
Peel and core the apples, then cut them into thin slices. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle with 1 tsp. of sugar and pour on 2 Tbsps. of the rum or brandy. Mix well and set aside for about 30 minutes. To make batter, break the eggs into a bowl and mix in the remaining sugar and rum or brandy, along with a pinch of salt. Slowly add the flour, mixing well. Add as much of the milk as necessary to form a fairly thick batter. Add the apple slices and mix well. Heat the butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. When the butter bubbles have subsided, make three or four fritters by scooping up some of the apple-batter with a ladle, placing it in the frying pan, and shaping it into a rough circle. Fry the apple fritters until golden brown on each side, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat until all the fritters are done. May be served with confectioners’ sugar or whipped cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
APPLE PAN CAKE
Obuolinis apkepas
1 stick (¼ lb.) butter, divided in half
2 eggs, separated
2 Tbsps. sugar
2 cups flour
Peel of 1 lemon, grated
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsps. bread crumbs
6 tart apples
4 Tbsps. powdered sugar. Beat together ½ stick butter, egg yolks and sugar.
Mix in flour (1 cup at a time) until batter is smooth. Add grated lemon peel and salt, and stir. Fold in beaten egg whites and mix well. Roll out dough. Divide in two parts. Transfer one part into greased frying pan (using remaining butter). Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Slice cored apples. Sprinkle with sugar. Spread over dough. Cover with the second rectangle of dough. Flip over and fry on other side. Sprinkle pan cake with powdered sugar. Makes 4 to 5 servings.
APPLE MAZUR IN SHORT SHELL
(Couldn’t translate this one into Lithuanian)
Dough:
½ lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups almonds, blanched, peeled and
ground
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups flour
Cream butter, combine with ground almonds, sugar, eggs, and flour, and work until thoroughly blended. Roll out ¼ -inch thick. Bake in greased pan in 350 ° oven until nicely brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Topping:
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
6 to 7 sour apples (like Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced thin
Grated lemon or orange rind for flavoring (about 2 tsps.) Make a thick syrup of sugar and water, and cook for 5 minutes. Add apples and rind and simmer until apples turn transparent and begin to fall apart, stirring to prevent burning. (If too thick, add more water.) When the apple mixture begins to separate from edges of the pan, take off the heat and allow to cool a bit. Spread over the pre-baked layer of cake and allow to cool again. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Apple goodies with appeal.