Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Thanksgiving wrap up...


Here in Canada we celebrated our Thanksgiving this weekend.  As my boys are still students their part-time jobs mean they work weekends.  My eldest till quite late in the wee hours of the morning, so our festivities usually happen on Monday.  I've not usually had guests for this occasion, simply because my house seems to be shrinking.  I always look forward to a long weekend with my guys.  It's a busy time of year for me and for them and I don't get to snuggle them as much as I NEED to.  At first I thought it might be just two of us for dinner, so I bought a little, little turkey and planned on a great many desserts.  But, my eldest was able to find time to get home and was bringing a guest, ( a pretty one).  The turkey could have been bigger.  Good thing the big guy likes vegetables.  When I got married I decided I wasn't cooking things that I didn't like, why would you? And so as my guys grew I didn't make them eat things they didn't like.  Big mistake.  Now I have to cook an array of different foods to suit everyone's taste buds, but then again what kind of a celebration would it be if only some of the dinners enjoyed the meal, everyone has a right to do that.  So Sasha, meat and potatoes and dessert, Daniel meat, no potatoes, just vast amounts of other vegetables, dessert is optional. Good thing they don't like different beverages.Milk with meals still applies here.  My husband eats everything in large quantities, didn't spoil him.  So I won't bore you with the usual feast recipes but I will share with you my mothers apple cake.  I haven't made this in awhile (probably last Thanksgiving) it's just such a large recipe and I have never really been successful at 1/2ing it.  My complaint with this cake was that it didn't have enough, not enough apples, not enough dough (I am the carb queen you know) and not enough sugar.  It always tastes better the next day, not sure why. 
So here is my edited version:

Babcia Stefi's Apple Cake

Dough

3cups all purpose flour (I use Robin Hood)
2tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 lb. butter
3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg (save the whites to use to brush the crust, I always forget to do this)
1tsp. vanilla
Cream butter, sugar add eggs, sour cream and vanilla, add flour which has been sifted together with baking powder. Divide dough in half of the two halves, reserve 1/3 of each piece to make the cross hatching on the top.
Press the remaining larger pieces one each into two 9X12 pans. Then...

In a large bowl combine the following
4lbs. apples peeled and sliced (more to meet the "enough" meter.
tossed with about 3/4c. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon
If your apples seem dry (depending on what you choose to use, I just use the Royal Gala, but the pie type apples are better, anyway if they are dry I would toss a 1/4 lemonjuice into the apples and perhaps a little more sugar, taste if you like.)
Spread 1/2 of the apple combination over each of the pans and then with the remainder of the dough roll out long lattice pieces and criss-cross over each pan. Brush with egg white which has been somewhat beaten with a fork, and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon. Bake a 350degrees for about 45 min. I like to use coarse sugar for the topping it just glistens more, no real difference in taste.Great served with vanilla ice cream. Smells heavenly in your kitchen.  Don't know how this stores, never any left to do so.

8 comments:

Jenners said...

My idea of a feast is just as you described ... a little turkey and lots and lots of treats. That pie looks delicious!

Donna said...

That looks like a delicious apple dessert! I hope that you have a lovely Thanksgiving. I don't know why I can't remember that you live in Canada. Silly me!

I know how you love how I "talk camera", LOL. You crack me up whenever you say that! Well, I'm going to be doing that camera talk this coming Saturday for the photo challenge. I have a funny twist of a picture for the theme, so you'll want to see it.

Annie said...

Ah, it sounds lovely that cake Irene. Yum. Sounds like you did have a nice time with the family for Thanksgiving.

Sorry to hear you are still not well. Not nice. Get better very soon, please!

Thanks for visiting my blog posts. Glad my trip to the theater was beneficial for you! Sorry, I have been a bit slow at getting around and blog visiting lately. A bit slow at getting around to doing anything, especially housework and related activities!! It has rained and rained here. And more predicted for tomorrow!

Jeanne said...

hehe you sound like me. don't want to cook something I don't like. we never made Crystal eat anything she didn't like either growing up and so, as you made different foods. Your celebration sounds wonderful. thanks for the sweet card Irene, it meant a lot and brought me back from my hole. I started a new blog up and I'm not linking to it from the old one as I'm trying to 'escape' someone. Back on Blogger with a new title and look. I'm looking forward to getting back on track again.

Nise' said...

I am glad you had a great Thanksgiving celebration.

Alyce said...

I've been looking for more apple recipes since we froze so many this fall. I'm wondering if the raw dough would freeze well. I'd like to be able to make half of the recipe at a time, but I saw that you said it didn't half well.

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Oh Irene :)
slurpppppp !!!
Troppo buona la torta di mele.
Un pezzetto di torta è avanzato ?
Caiooooooo :))
Myriam

Jenny said...

I'm on a sugar high just reading about that cake. Sounds divine, dear Irene! I'm glad you had a sweet family Thanksgiving. A pretty guest, eh? Sounds promising! You'll be wanting feed that cake to some cute little grandchildren someday.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to my wonderful son,  it's bee 33wonderful years. Hope this year proves to be the best yet.