JABLECZNIK (Apple Cake)

One of Paul’s favorites. Personally, I’ll always remember the time our cat ate a bunch of apples off the top of the cake during a visit to Orchard Park. Can’t blame her – she had excellent taste!

From the recipe card:

Fantastic! Keeps very well in the pan for 8 to 10 days, covered in a cool place.

2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup sugar
½ lb. butter (unsalted) or margarine
2 eggs, beaten
9 apples (approx.) peeled, cored, grated
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup icing sugar (optional)
juice of ½ lemon (optional)

grease 9×13 inch cake pan
preheat oven to 325
sift flour, baking powder and salt
add sugar and cut in butter or margarine with two knives until mealy in texture
add beaten eggs and blend in with fingers
divide dough in half, put ½ into bottom of pan and spread apples over top
mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over apples
place remaining dough over this in bits (like crumbs)
don’t pack tightly
bake for 55 minutes
set on cake rack in pan to cool

spread top with icing sugar mixed with lemon juice to spreading consistency (optional)
cut in squares to serve

Strawberry Preserves

I probably found this recipe a little late for this year, but I’ll be ready for spring 2008! Perhaps this would work with other fruit as well. I see experiments with raspberries in my future.

This recipe is my grammy Christina’s and was written down by someone else in the family as it’s noted that the recipe comes from aunt Christina and also contains more notes and explanations than I’ve found in this batch of recipes given to me by my mother. It almost reads as if the person was at grammy’s side watching and writing down each step:

1 quart strawberries
4 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice

Wash and hull berries.
Put berries with 2 cups sugar into a small preserving kettle.
Bring up to a boiling point over low fire and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.
Add remaining sugar and lemon juice and boil 10-15 minutes.
A watery fruit will require longer cooking time.
Turn into an earthenware jar or deep crock or mixing bowl and let stand 24 hours, stir occasionally.
Seal cold in sterilized jars.
The small quantity and short working period are the secret of the deliciousness of these preserves. The lemon juice preserves the vivid red of the berries. You can make as many quarts of berries that the jar or crocks will hold, but only one quart at a time.

Old World Raspberry Bars

Anna, my sister, says she does not like to cook. But she makes a mean enchilada and a good raspberry bar.

crumb mixture:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg

Filling:
1 jar (10 oz.) raspberry preserves

Heat oven to 350

In a large mixer bowl combine all crumb ingredients.
Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is crumbly – 2 to 3 minutes.
Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture (for the topping); press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of 8-in. square baking pan.
Spread preserves to within 1/2 inch of egde of crumb mixture.
Crumble reserved crumb mixture over preserves.
Bake for 42 – 50 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool completely. Cut into bars.

Notes:
Would also be good with strawberry preserves.
Chopped walnuts or pecans could be added to the filling