Columbus Foodie

You know, in the grand scheme of things my knowledge of family recipes is rather limited. My grandmother and great-grandmother passed away quite a while ago, before cooking and traditions and family heritage were important to me, and I had pretty much already spoken about all the recipes I remember. So I asked my mom about dishes she remembers. This is one that her mother made once a month or so, and one that she remembers fondly. I’m submitting it to be a part of this month’s Apples & Thyme event, which asks us to celebrate the recipes of our mothers and grandmothers.

My grandmother Edith was a German war bride – she met my grandfather Jack when he was serving over in Germany during World War 2, and she moved to the US to be with him – they were married in 1947, and my mom came along in 1952. She’s here in this picture from 1954 – my great-grandmother Mathilde on the left, my grandmother Edith on the right, and my mother is the baby in the front. She passed away when I was very young (about the same age my mother was in this picture), so my memories of her are vague. My great-grandmother kept her alive for me through sharing her own memories.

Apple Dapple Pudding
recipe adapted slightly from “Pillsbury’s Best 1000 Recipes”

1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon or apple pie spice
1/3 c. water
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tbsp. lemon juice (reserve grated rind)
1 tsp. almond extract
4 cups (4 medium) sliced apples
1/2 c. chopped almonds
1/2 c. raisins or currants

Dapple Topping:
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. lemon rind
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon or apple pie spice, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine water, egg, lemon juice and almond extract. Set aside. Place apples, almonds, and raisins in a large bowl, and add wet ingredients and toss. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Turn into well-greased 10×6x2 (I used 8×8) or two quart baking dish; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make dapple topping by mixing together all ingredients except butter into small bowl, and then cutting in butter until particles are fine.

Remove foil and sprinkle dapple topping over apples. Raise temperature to 375F, and bake 30 or 40 minutes additional until apples are tender. Best served warm.