66
Apple Kuchen
This apple cake is also delightful when served for breakfast, brunch or coffee.
Makes 8 servings
6
ounces dried apricots
½
cup plus 2 tablespoons water
nonstick cooking spray
2
large Granny Smith or Golden Delicious Apples,
peeled, cored and halved
juice of ½ lemon
1
cup unbleached, all-purpose fl our
¹⁄³
cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1
teaspoon baking powder
¹⁄
8
teaspoon salt
2
tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
½
cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1
large egg
1½
teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼
teaspoon almond extract
¹⁄³
cup lowfat sour cream
1½
teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½
tablespoons melted butter
Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan or in the microwave. Add the apricots, return to
the boil, then let sit until cool, about 20 to 30 minutes. Insert the metal blade. Purée the
apricots and their cooking liquid until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes, stop the machine and
scrape the work bowl 2 or 3 times. Remove and reserve.*
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray a 7x10-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Insert the slicing disc. Arrange the apples in the feed tube so that the bottom of the apple
is sitting on the blade. Use medium pressure to slice. Toss the sliced apples gently with
the lemon juice. Set aside.
Pulse the fl our, almonds, baking powder and salt until the nuts are roughly chopped, 10
to 12 times. Remove and reserve. Cream the butter, sugar, 3 tablespoons of the apricot
purée, the vanilla and almond extracts until smooth, 45 seconds. Add egg and sour
cream, process 30 seconds. Scrape the work bowl, process 15 seconds longer. Add the
reserved dry ingredients and pulse just to incorporate, 10 to 12 times. Do not overpro-
cess. The batter will be thick. Spread the batter evenly in the two prepared baking pans.
Arrange the apples over the batter, 3 rows of 12 overlapping apple slices in each pan (for
a nice effect, arrange the middle row in the opposite direction). Combine the cinnamon
and sugar, sprinkle evenly over the apples. Drizzle with the melted butter. Bake in the
preheated 350º oven to 45 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean when
inserted in the middle of the pan, and the sides of the cake pull away from the pan. Cool
on a rack for 30 minutes before serving. May be made a day ahead. Remove from the
pans when completely cool and wrap well. May also be frozen.
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