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Through the ages apples were not merely a
fruit to be eaten as food, they were magical with their powers extending from
curing diseases, ensuring fertility, to giving immortality. Even today the
apple provides both good and bad symbolism. As Boria Sax tells us in
'Rooted in America' there is "linkage of apples to health, to rural and domestic
industry, to sin and sex, to purity and danger, and to all-American identity." But most of us usually focus on apples as
a food and the fact is is that they are
an important cultivated fruit in
most temperate parts of the world. Apple varieties now number well into the thousands with each having its own unique
color, shape, texture and flavor. Their colors can range from red, green,
yellow to brown; its flavors can be sweet, tart, mellow, or spicy; and its
textures can be soft and mealy, to hard, to crisp so there is an apple to suit
everyone's tastes.
When used in baking, it is important that the apple
you choose has the desired texture
and flavor so it complements the other flavors in the
recipe. For this recipe I prefer the tart flavor and firm
texture of the Granny Smith, but other excellent choices are the sweeter tasting Golden
Delicious, Braeburn, McIntosh, Rome, or Mutsu. Once you have determined
the type of apple to use in this dessert, our attention turns to the cake and
its streusel
topping. As the apples and streusel are the dominant flavors in this
dessert I have used a simple butter cake batter with a light texture and flavor. Once the cake batter has been spread onto the bottom of
the spring form pan and topped with peeled and sliced apples, a crunchy
streusel, flavored with brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped hazelnuts is sprinkled
on top. If you cannot find hazelnuts in your area, substitute with
walnuts, pecans, or even almonds. This cake is delicious warm from the
oven or at room temperature. Of course, no apple dessert is complete
without a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. |
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