Spago's Executive Pastry Chef Sherry Yard is getting into the Halloween spirit with fresh apples from See Canyon Farms. She uses the slightly tart McIntosh variety and dips them in a raspberry sugar syrup made with fresh raspberries and corn syrup. Once dipped, a shiny shell hardens around the apple creating a lollipop-like effect.
She also slices apples very thin, skins on, and poaches them in cider, water and Verjus. She adds these poached slices into a honey-apple cake.
Mike Cirone is bringing in 14 varieties of apples this week. They range from the sweet Gala varieties to the tart Belle de Boskoop and Empire. These two tart varieties are over 100 years old. Mike Cirone's See Canyon comes to the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers Market and to the downtown Saturday Santa Monica Farmers Market. He should have apples until Thanksgiving.
S & S Apple Cake
- 3 large (1 lb) Golden Delicious apples
- 2 Tablespoons lemon
- 1 oz butter
- 1 1/2 oz heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Pinch salt
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°; set a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Butter an 8-inch round x 2 inches deep, baking dish, dust with granulated sugar; set aside.
3. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Slice them thinly. In a bowl, toss them with the lemon juice; set aside.
4. In a saucepan, melt the butter; cool to 80°. Whisk in the cream and eggs.
5. In a medium bowl, sift together, the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Gradually add the egg mixture into the flour mixture.
7. Fold in the sliced apples.
8. Pour the batter it to the baking dish, spread it evenly. Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Cool for 20 minutes.
9. Turn out the cake and set it right side up on a platter. Dust with confectioners' sugar. It's best served warm with a dollop of crème fraiche, or ala mode with vanilla ice cream.