classic apple cake

We had a little 'disaster' this weekend at home. My daughter got a hold of a cup of flour and 'accidentally' sprinkled it all over her doll house and everywhere you can think of.. including the disproportional blond Barbies, the miniature retro furniture, the Barbie cruise line with the pool... it looked like she tried to generate a snow storm of some sort. Though it may have been cute to her, it was not so cute to me... especially after spotting a 'little' trail of flour footprints down the stairs straight into the kitchen. Oy yo yo! Needless to say, I banned barbies for a couple of weeks and I forgave her to avoid the guilt trip. After all, I just love her delicious face.

I had to take a little pause from blogging mainly because I got into hosting and co-producing a new community TV show called Give Back Montreal. It's a kinda feel-good show that features Montreal's inspirational philanthropists and the respective organizations they support. It kept me busy hence I had to hold off on the food blogging and yes, the family had to settle for countless pizza and pasta nights, until recently.

So back to kitchen business. It's a new year, a new time to share food, an opportunity to connect and a perfect time to celebrate and share those sweet things! Apples are a staple fruit on the Jewish new year of Rosh Hashanah, and I figured we can all use a full-proof and classic apple cake recipe like this one. I borrowed this cake recipe from my friend Norene Gilletz's Second Helpings, Please! I have been making this apple cake for years. It's simply delicious and so beyond easy to make.

INGREDIENTS PREP TIME 15 min | TOTAL TIME 1 hour | Yield 8-12
Recipe by Norene Gilletz

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup oil or 3/4 stick of unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons water or orange juice
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Apple filling

• 6-8 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (I like using a blend of Granny Smith, Gala and Cortland apples)
• ½ cup white or brown sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in oil or butter.
2. Add liquid alternately with dry ingredients (don't forget the baking powder!) and beat until just smooth.
3. Spoon half of batter into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking pan. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Add apples, which have been sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Cover with remaining batter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, until nicely browned.

To top it all off, be sure to sprinkle icing sugar for that special, yet permissible, messy touch ;-)

SECOND HELPINGS WITH NORENE GILLETZ: CANADA'S KOSHER CULINARY ICON

Norene Gilletz, Canada's top kosher cookbook author serves up her delicious rice noodle kugel.

Seven years ago cooking became one of my biggest joys. Granted, I wasn't a trained chef, nor was I a restaurateur. I turned to culinary arts as a getaway from rocky marriage days. I was a young mother roaming IGA grocery lanes, pushing two babies in a double stroller, discovering all kinds of ingredients. "Do you know where I can find cream of tartar?"  I  asked an elderly woman in the baking aisle "...it's an ingredient I need for a Martha Stewart recipe," I added. Surprisingly clueless of who Martha Stewart was, she kindly replied, "the only cookbook you need is Norene Gilletz's Second Helpings, Please." Luckily, that was one of the first cookbooks I bought, and used to learn how to make apple cake, challah, banana bread, latkes, hamentashen, sweet and sour meatballs and more. 

An original, the first ever Second Helpings, Please! cookbook.
It includes signatures of all the contributors on the first page.

"People long for classics, and food transports us
through time." ~ Norene Gilletz

Of Russian and Polish decent, Norene was born on May 29, 1940, in Winnipeg. Belle Rykiss, her mother, inspired Norene to cherish and make Jewish food. In 1960, Norene moved to Montreal and joined the B'nai Brith Women Mount Sinai Chapter. During that time, the concept for developing a fundraising cookbook was initiated and Norene Gilletz, played a crucial role putting this culinary classic together. After three years and a half of gathering and testing recipes, the first edition was published in 1968. Since then, the book was re-printed over fifteen times and proceeds from the sale of the book were used for Jewish Women International (JWI) the leading Jewish organization empowering women and girls.

Norene has been recognized as the leading author of kosher cookbooks in Canada. In addition from being the author of numerous kosher cookbooks i.e. Healthy Helpings, Norene's Healthy Kitchen, and The New Food Processor Bible, she has influenced thousands of Jewish homes as a freelance food writer, food consultant, cooking teacher\lecturer, culinary spokesperson, and owner of www.gourmania.com. Norene had the chance to meet renowned French chefs like Jaques Pepin and Julia Child.  She was featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio Show plus she was recently honored, last October, at KosherFest's Social Media dinner along with Susie Fishbein, Chef Laura Frankel, Gil Marks, Levana Kirschenbaum, and Menachem Lubinsky.

Two Sunday's ago, I found myself in her Toronto kitchen, having a cup of coffee over delicious homemade bran muffins and buttermilk noodle kugel (plus I got to enjoy peanut-free peanut butter cookies and biscottis, testers for an upcoming cookbook). We got to look-over and discuss the latest kosher cookbooks on the market that needed her review (coincidentally including Montreal's latest, And Then There was Cake).  We chatted for hours, and realized we had more than Jewish food in common. Both Gemini's, we both lived in the West Island of Montreal in our past, we both experienced single-motherhood (and understand the hardships of the dating scene) and we both love Paula Abdul (Norene is actually her cousin). I truly had a delightful time, benefiting from her wise advice ;)

Norene and her cutsy dog.

Norene Gilletz's cookbooks. Her mother's original copy of The Food Processor Bible,
Norene's Healthy Kitchen. And the pile of books in the back that needed her review.

Seven years have past and my two little babies are now little girls. I have the nachas of turning to a book like Norene's Second Helpings, Please! as a means to teach my children how to bake, but even more appreciate the joys of Jewish living. Thank you Norene! :-)