A FRENCH APPLE CAKE

Ingredients:

5 apples, not too large, choose a few different baking varieties 

some cinnamon and brown sugar
the zest and juice of one small lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

some apricot or apple jelly, melted in the microwave when ready to use

Directions:

• Reserve one of the apples. Peel the other four and remove their cores. Cut them up into 1-inch pieces. Place them into a bowl and sprinkle some cinnamon and brown sugar over them, mix, cover and set aside.
• Mix the lemon zest with the sugar and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
• Grease a spring-form pan and place it on a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, mix the flour, almond flour, salt, and baking powder.
• In the bowl of a mixer, beat the eggs until they are foamy. Add the sugar and beat until it’s incorporated and has dissolved.
• Add the vanilla and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold in one-third of the flour mixture, then add one-third of the butter. Folding gently, repeat this process two more times, until all of the flour and butter have been used. The mixture should turn out smooth and a little thick.
• Gently fold the apples into the batter. 
• Add the mixture to the spring-form pan.
• Peel the reserved apple, slice it, and arrange it over the cake batter. 
• Bake for about one hour or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to rest for at least fifteen minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the cake and open the spring-form pan slowly. 
• Allow the cake to cool for about an hour. Remove the sides of the spring-form pan.
• Invert the cake onto parchment paper and remove the bottom of the spring-form pan. Flip the cake onto a serving platter.
• Glaze the top of the cake with some melted jelly

Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels and Saffron: in Praise of Pennsylvania Dutch Saffron

Chicken corn soup: one of my favourite soups! Always delicious and warming, a cup of chicken corn soup makes me happy! 

This is one of those quick-to-make recipes. The broth is a low salt store-bought variety, however, you can always make your own! If you can find fresh corn, use it. Save the cobs and let them cook in the broth, then remove them before serving. 

Crocus sativus growing somewhere in Pennsylvania's yellow belt!

The soup contains a pinch of saffron. Did you know there is saffron harvested in Pensylvania Dutch country?

"Saffron Gatherers" found at Akrotiri, island of Thera, Greece. 

Indeed, saffron is an ancient crop. The fresco above depicts the "Saffron Gatherers," (circa 1600-1500 BCE) and was found at Akrotiri, Greece. 

The Pennsylvania Dutch began to cultivate saffron during the 18th century from crocus bulbs they received via Spanish traders who frequented Philadelphia. It turned out that the soil and climate of Pennsylvania were perfect for this crop. Saffron-growing regions became plentiful and came to be called Pennsylvania's "yellow belt." Saffron does cost around $100 per ounce, therefore saffron farming sounds like a lucrative enterprise. However, the crop is difficult to harvest and for that reason, it's no longer widely farmed in Pennsylvania. It's good saffron, though. One of the best varieties anywhere! 

Here's what makes this crop difficult to harvest: all aspects of its farming must be done by hand. Back in the day "farming by hand" included all farming but today things have changed. The bulbs which produce saffron must be dug up and replanted each year. When the flowers are ready, they must be harvested by hand. Then, one has to carefully pick each stigma from each flower. One crocus flower contains about three stigmas. Growing saffron is time-consuming and labour intensive; the profit margin doesn't seem worth it to most. Those who still grow saffron view their job as a labour of love: there's something beautiful about cultivating crocus bulbs, waiting till their blooms emerge, and looking at land covered with masses of purple flowers. Then, one by one, gold threads of saffron are extracted from each blossom. It's hard work but there's pleasure to be found in it.   

Recipe for chicken corn soup:

Versions of this soup include the addition of either noodles or rivels. Rivels are very easy to make and resemble a small dumpling. They are a type of noodle that's very popular with the Pennsylvania Dutch. And they're tasty delicious!

Ingredients: 

5 cups of corn kernels
7 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
1 carrot, diced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

a few sprigs of thyme

a pinch of saffron
salt and pepper to taste
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced
2 potatoes cut into small cubes

rivels

To make the rivels:

1 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

A pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper
some thyme
1 teaspoon of baking powder

Using a fork, mix all the ingredients until just blended. Do not over-mix. Cover and reserve until ready to use.

When it's time, this dough will be added into the soup by rubbing pieces of it between one's hands and letting the resulting crumb-like drops fall into the hot broth. 

Directions for the soup:

• In a blender, combine 2 cups of corn kernels and 2 cups of chicken broth. Puree until smooth, and set aside.
• In a Dutch oven heat the olive oil and add the onion, celery and carrot.
• Cook, stirring until the vegetables begin to soften.
• Add the remaining corn and cook for a few minutes, just until the corn is softened.
• Stir in the rest of the broth, the chicken, and the pureed corn mixture. Add the saffron, salt and pepper and thyme.
• Bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.
• Into the hot liquid drop pea-sized pieces of rivels. Cook until they are tender. This should take less than ten minutes. 
• Add the parsley.
• Ready to serve!

CARAMEL CUSTARD FLAN (Crème Caramel)

Ready for the Easter dessert table: this custard with its slightly bitter caramel topping and its creamy texture, in my opinion, is one of the best desserts ever! It's been a favourite since childhood and I can report that it's loved by all the family. It isn't difficult to make but it does require lots of steps. The results are worth it.

Have all the ingredients at the ready before you begin. Care should be taken not to burn one's hands: use oven mitts and other precautions because to make this dessert you'll need to work quickly and with lots of hot ingredients. Carefully tempering the eggs so that they don't curdle is a must. Other than that ... be confident! And enjoy some crème caramel once in a while. It's just a super-yummy experience!!!

To prepare the baking pans:

1. The custard will need to be baked in a water bath. Therefore, have some boiling hot water at the ready. Heating it in a tea kettle would be very expedient: you may then pour it directly into the bain-marie from the tea kettle.
2. Have a roasting pan (about 9 x13 inches in size) and one round 8-inch cake pan at the ready. The larger pan will be used to hold water for the bain-marie. 
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
4. Place the cake pan in the oven to allow it to heat up before the caramel is added.

To make the caramel:

1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) water
two drops of lemon extract

1. Add all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir.
2. Cook over medium heat until the sugar begins to take on a caramel colour. This should take about five minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat; do not allow the caramel to burn. 
4. Carefully, remove the cake pan from the oven but do not turn off the oven. 
5. Pour the caramel into the pan and swirl it around so that it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. 
6. Set aside.

For the custard:

2 cups heavy cream
1 and 1/3 cup whole milk
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Bring the cream and milk to a boil.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar. Using a handheld mixer works well! 
3. Stir in the vanilla.
4. The milk and egg mixtures will need to be combined. Begin by tempering the eggs: 
5. While whisking, very slowly add a ladleful of the milk mixture. In the same fashion add a second ladleful. Keep whisking: this way the eggs won't curdle as the hot liquid is being introduced. 
6. Once the initial batches of liquid are added, slowly begin adding the rest while still whisking. 

To make the flan:

1. Pour the custard onto the caramel-lined cake pan.
2. Place the cake pan inside the larger baking pan.
3. Place the two pans in the oven but don't shut the oven door just yet.
4. Careful - use oven mitts to avoid burns: pour hot water inside the large pan, allowing it to surround the cake pan. Let the water come halfway up the cake pan. Close the oven door.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife into the centre of the custard. It should come out clean.
6. Carefully remove the whole contraption from the oven.
7. Transfer the cake pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the flan. Allow it to cool for about an hour.
8. Cover, place in the refrigerator and let chill for six hours minimum. 
9. When ready to serve, run a knife once again between the custard and the pan.
10. Invert the flan onto a rimmed serving platter. It should easily come out of the pan. Most of the caramel sauce will stay on top although some of it will run down the sides making for a lovely decoration.