No Olympic Games table would be complete without a good dessert. In my house, it will be Sharlotka, Russian apple cake.
Sharlotka was a dessert staple in our house when I was little. Pretty much everyone was making it, recipes varied a little from family to family. Sharlotka was the first thing I learned to make, even before I learned to boil water for pasta. It is fast, easy, and perfect for cold winter nights (like the ones we’re experiencing right now). Or you can serve it for Thanksgiving as well.
Sharlotka was a dessert staple in our house when I was little. Pretty much everyone was making it, recipes varied a little from family to family. Sharlotka was the first thing I learned to make, even before I learned to boil water for pasta. It is fast, easy, and perfect for cold winter nights (like the ones we’re experiencing right now). Or you can serve it for Thanksgiving as well.
3 Eggs
1C Flour
1C Sugar
2-3 Apples depending on size (I prefer Grammy Smith)
A Couple of Dashes of Ground Cloves
1/2t Baking Soda
Lemon
9 inch spring-form baking pan
Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease the baking pan. Cut the
apples into chunks but no bigger than ¾'' by ¾''. Dump the apples into the pan.
In a medium size bowl, whisk Eggs. Add Sugar and whisk until the mixture is
forming ribbons. Slowly add Flour. At this point I switch to a mixing spoon to
make it easier. Once Flour is well incorporated, add Ground Cloves. You want
enough to perfume the mixture and see tiny brown flecks throughout. But don’t
over do it. Add Baking Soda but do not
mix it in yet. Squeeze enough fresh Lemon Juice over the Baking Soda so that all
the Soda starts to foam. Once reaction is complete, mix in the foam very
gently. Pour the batter over the apples.
Bake until the crust is matte and crispy (it will be the
color of sand) and the wooden toothpick comes out dry (as long is you don’t
skewer an apple piece), about 25-30 minutes. I use convection feature on my
oven to get the crisp crust.
