Fabulous Dessert

I found this fabulous dessert on www.smittenkitchen.com and must pass it on to you! 

It looks wonderful and best of all... not complicated. Here it is:

apple sharlotka

My mother-in-law insists that she does not bake — that’s my job — but she does make this, which the family calls “Apple Thing”. It’s official name is Apple Sharlotka, but that really gives you no more help than “Thing” by way of description. 

“Sharlotka” would sound like it relates to a dessert Charlotte, but Charlottes, with their mousse-like, Lady Fingers-decked grandiosity, have little in common aside from the course in which it is served. I’ve heard this referred to as a cake (but it contains no milk, no butter), a Russian pie (but it has no crusts) and/or a pancake (but it’s not very cakey). I wanted to tell you that it’s like a clafoutis, but no, that’s not right either, with no cream or milk and a proportion of fruit to batter that is nothing short of staggering.

And so, you’re just going to have to make it yourself. I know, I know, it’s JANUARY and We Do Not Eat Dessert In January. I hear you. But I cannot bear a life without dessert, without a bit of something sweet each and every day, and I think this is an excellent offering for the most resolute time of year. It contains no butter, save that which you need to grease the pan. Although it has sugar, it’s not very sweet. Although it contains flour, it’s not a whole lot for the size of the pan. Although it has eggs, it’s not very rich. Really, the whole structure comes from apples. You fill the cake pan nearly to the brim with peeled and chopped apples and you pour the batter over then smooth it to encourage it to seep down. It fills the spaces between the apples and makes a torte of what was a pile, and then you bake it until it’s done.

Apple Sharlotka

Adapted from Alex’s mother, who adapted it from her mother, and so on…

Butter or nonstick spray, for greasing pan

6 large, tart apples, such as Granny Smiths

3 large eggs

1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour

Ground cinnamon, to finish

Powdered sugar, also to finish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan. Peel, halve and core your apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks. (I cut each half into four “strips” then sliced them fairly thinly — about 1/4-inch — in the other direction.) Pile the cut apples directly in the prepared pan. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs with sugar until thick and ribbons form on the surface of the beaten eggs. Beat in vanilla, then stir in flour with a spoon until just combined. The batter will be very thick.

Pour over apples in pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter so that it covers all exposed apples. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out free of batter. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack, then flip out onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving platter. Dust lightly with ground cinnamon.

Serve warm or cooled, dusted with powdered sugar. Alex’s family eats it plain, but imagine it would be delicious with a dollop of barely sweetened whipped or sour cream.