The Applefest in Lincoln Square last Saturday featured an outstanding Bake Off. Home baked goods were presented for judging to Cafe Selmarie, 4729 N. Lincoln Ave. First place went to Julie Gianni and her French Crumble-Top Apple Pie; second place went to Betty Rogus and her Legacies Apple Crumb Cake; third place went to Maria Bappert and her Bavarian Apple Torte.
The winner will receive a night on the town for two (dinner and show tickets). Following are the recipes for the top two entries.
French Crumble-Top Apple Pie
Pastry:
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup lard
ice water
Make pastry for a deep 9" pie. Bake crust until lightly browned. Add 6 fresh Macintosh apples and 2 Granny Smith apples peeled and cut up in a bowl with:
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. flour
Add topping:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
Preheat oven and bake pie at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn down oven to 350 degrees and cook 45 minutes...tends to bubble over...put foil under.
Legacies Apple Crumb Cakes
4-5 large apples diced (winesap or York or cooking apples preferred)
2 tsp. cinnamon and 4 tsp. sugar
(half of last two ingredients will be mixed with diced apples-- mix rest with 3 Tbsp. brown sugar and sprinkle over top of batter before baking)
4 eggs
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup orange or pineapple juice
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups sifted flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Peel and core apples and then dice/blend with some lemon juice as to not turn dark and mix with half of cinnamon, sugar combination and set aside. Grease and flour 13" x 11" pan.
Heat eggs gradually with sugar and then oil. Beat well. Resift flour with baking powder and salt and add to beaten mixture in small amounts. Mix, alternating with orange or pineapple juice. Finally, beat in vanilla.
Pour half of batter in large greased pan. Then arrange apples on batter– top with rest of batter — sprinkle sugar mixture on top.
If using metal pan, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes (more or less, test it after 1 hour). If using a glass pan bake at 325 degrees.
Do not overbake or the cake will be too dry.
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