A Little Cake-y

 

... a pretty little patty pan of a pastry ... but, what's under that crust, you ask ? ....

... a pretty pottery plate ! ...

... a bottom crust of buttery and sweet cake-y crust ...

... clove and cardamom spiced apple bits ... that's it !!!

... pop on the topper, pick a pretty crimp design ...

... this is Irish Apple Cake-y ... stellar with hot coffee and whipped cream ...

Easy dessert with an Irish flare ... a large apple turnover-type cake that's baked on a plate like a pie ... basic ingredients treated minimally that yield a taste of simplicity ... courtesy of Darina Allen. Darina says this is an old Irish farmwife's tried and true, taught to the children when they're starting to learn to bake, and passed through families - each with their little touches added to the classic recipe. My special touch was a sprinkle of cloves and cardamom, a heaping teaspoon of confectioner's sugar and a tablespoon of dry apple wine added to the apple pieces, as my apples were some old winter apples that had been sitting the counter for several days.

Irish Apple Cake-y

a recipe from Darina Allen’s Forgotten Skills of Cooking

Ingredients:

2 c. flour

½ tsp. baking powder

1 stick butter ( ½ c.)

½ c. superfine sugar

1 egg

½ c. whole milk or buttermilk

2 -3 cooking apples - peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces

2 – 3 whole cloves

10 inch oven proof plate

Making the Dish:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Whisk together the flour and the baking powder.
3. Cut the butter into lumps and add to the flour. Mix with your fingers until the flour is ‘scrappy’ with the butter.
4. Add the sugar and stir to combine.
5. Make a well in the dry  ingredients.
6. Measure the milk and add the egg to it, beating together with a fork.
7. Add to the dry ingredient well and stir together with a fork until the dough forms a ball.
8. Place an oven proof plate on your work surface. Divide the dough in half and plop one ball of the dough onto the plate.
9. Flour your hands and press the dough into a 9 inch round. Set aside.
10. Prepare the apples … I added 1 tbsp. dry cider, 1 heaping tsp. sugar, and a pinch of ground cloves and cardamom.
11. Mound the apples and sprinkle a bit of flour onto them. Plop the other half of the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper.
12. Flour your hands again and press the dough into a larger, thinner circle .
13. Use the waxed paper to lift and flip the dough onto the top of the apple cake-y.
14. Gently peel back the waxed paper.
15. Tuck the upper edges in under the lower edge of the cake crust. Use a fork to press the seal closed.
16. Make some slashes in the top to vent the apples or use a fork to make a pretty design.
17. Brush with an egg wash, if you like a shiny crust.
18. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 – 40 minutes or until the crust is golden and shiny.
19. Cool slightly before serving with whipped cream, custard, or vanilla ice cream.

Note: Cake-y re-warms nicely at 225°F for about 20 minutes …