Oma's Apple Cake

This was one of my favorite things growing up, especially the top part at the outer edge which is just so light and crunchy and well delicious.  My oma would make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas but since my family has never made it to dessert on a holiday, I was always allowed to have it for breakfast the next morning.

For the crust
200gr flour
80gr sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 stick of butter, softened at room temperature
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
small pinch of salt

Filling
about 2lbs macintosh apples, small to medium
2 tbsp almond flour

Topping
3 eggs, separated
150 gr sugar
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp flour

powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375.  To form the crust whisk the baking powder, flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt together.  Using your fingertips, a fork, or a pastry cutter to work the butter into flour mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs like you're making biscuits. Then work the egg in to form a dough, if its a bit dry and crumbly, add in a bit of milk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.  Spread the dough onto the bottom of a spring form pan and bring slightly up the sides, about 3/4 of an inch.
2. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Make shallow slits across the apples.  Arrange them in concentric circles in the pan and sprinkle with the almond flour.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the crust and apples are slightly golden.
4. While the crust and apples are baking, beat the egg whites and lemon juice until stiff peaks.  Beat the egg yolks, sugar, and flour together.  Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
5. Top the cake with the egg mixture and return to the oven until the top is golden brown and it only jiggles slightly when the pan is shook.
6. wait until it is completely cooled, run a thin bladed knife along the inside of the pan before you open the pan.  Top with powdered sugar

Spätzle with burnt shallot oil

Spätzle is a german noodle, it actually means sparrow dumplings though I 've never seen one that looks anything like a bird.  My oma always made them for Thanksgiving and taught me.  Plain, they are little more than a transport device for gravy, but this oil makes them a pretty tasty side dish sans gravy if I do say so myself.  The leftover oil is great in mashed potatoes, salad dressings or just for bread dunking.

for spätzle

250 grams AP flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2+ cup water

hefty pinch of salt

for burnt shallot oil

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1. to make the oil, combine the olive oil, sesame oil, and chopped shallots in a small sauce pan or frying pan, and heat over medium/ medium low heat until the shallots are golden brown and starting to char around the edges. make sure the oil doesn't start smoking, if it does, just take it off the heat, strain the shallots off and fry them in a pan until they are golden brown and starting to char around the edges, and add them back to the oil. either way, let the shallots sit in the oil for at least an hour so the oil can infuse.

2. mix the flour and salt, mound the flour mixture up in a bowl, pour the water and beaten eggs into the center of the flour and slowly start working the flour in, it should form a very sticky paste but should be stiff enough to pull away from the side of the bowl. depending on the weather, you may need more than 1/2 cup of water. let rest for at least 30 minutes (my oma says to make the dough in the morning and let it rest all day).

3. bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. to form the spätzle, spread some of the batter out on a spätzle board (or just a cutting board) and use a knife to scrape a small amount of batter across the board and into the water; it takes a little while to get it down, it helps to keep sticking the knife into the water so the batter doesn't stick.  when the spätzle float, fish them out with a spider or slotted spoon.

4. toast the spätzle and a couple tablespoons of the shallot oil in a sauté pan over medium heat for a minute or so. season with pepper and salt to taste and serve, a bit of chopped herbage is always nice on top and a sprinkling of those french fried onions that come in a can (not the fanciest suggestion but still good).