PANDEMIC WINTER

It’s a beautiful winter in Jerusalem, sunny and bright, making the holiday season much lovelier. I spend as much time as I can outdoors with my dogs, where though every path is familiar, we can still make new discoveries.

This week, it was a new lemon tree. Small joys have a greater impact during this strange time, especially as Israel has now entered its third lockdown, sigh, in parallel with other countries where people read this blog such as Canada and parts of Australia.

By this stage of 2020, we all know the drill, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Israel’s health ministry says these restrictions are necessary because the rate of illness is on an upswing – higher now than prior to the first 2 lockdowns.

APPLE CAKES

All of this has thrown me back to baking. It’s a comfort during lockdown, and these are 2 outstanding apple cake recipes – one an actual apple cake and the other a cake using apples, both from grandmothers, one German and one Italian.

They are good lockdown fare, as the ingredients are simple and they are quick to prepare – much quicker than sourdough! They are also suitable for a sweet new year, a riff on the Jewish tradition of apples with honey on Rosh Hashana. When we were also in lockdown here, come to think of it…

I found these on recipe and kitchenware site Food 52 and I think it’s revealing that with the wealth of recipes available, my favourites are from 2 European grandmothers, recipes cooked at home for generations before being shared there. I’ve been baking these for years and they are hands down the best cake recipes on the site – which says something about me or Food 52, or both. Euroean grandmothers for the win!

VACCINE

The odd thing is that at the same time as Covid cases are climbing, Israel is on a vaccine drive, currently achieving the highest rate of vaccinations in the world. In fact, it’s more like vaccine fever, as Israel has inoculated more than half a million people in 10 days, and is opening some centres 24-7 to allow them to vaccinate round the clock. The aim is to reach 150,000 a day next week.

The government initially feared people might be wary, but so far the uptake has been huge. Israel has deals with both Pfizer and Moderna and it hopes to complete the whole population (those who wish to be vaccinated, there is no compulsion, yet) by April 2021. For perspective, that’s when Australia’s vaccination programme is due to begin.  

COVID CHRISTMAS

I reported from Bethlehem before Christmas, as it was emerging from a Covid lockdown, and found it profoundly affected by the pandemic. It’s a tourist town and there have been no international tourists or pilgrims since March. Shops are full, there are no buyers and there’s plenty of room at the inn. The Palestinian tourism ministry measures the loss of income in hundreds of millions of dollars

There is no vaccine in the West Bank yet. There’s little in the way of social security or Palestinian government support progammes, so it was a grim holiday season. I did a number of stories from there, like this one for the Canadian public broadcaster, the CBC.

But as there is so much crossover between Israel and the Palestinian territories, it raises the real question of whether one can be virus free if the other is not…

RECIPES

Buttery German Apple Cake

Note: I have reduced the sugar in the pastry because I like the contrast between the less sweet base and the very sweet apricot jam and apples. If you would like it sweeter, simply increase the sugar to half a cup and the salt to half a teaspoon.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup / 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature

• ¼ cup flour or breadcrumbs

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 1 lemon

• 1 cup plain or AP flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 tablespoons apricot jam

• 2-3 small apples, such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady

• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar – may need a little more

• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

METHOD

1.   Preheat oven to 180C/ 350F. Grease bottom and sides of a small 20 cm  / 8in spring-form pan, then coat with flour or breadcrumbs, tapping out excess.

2.   Grate lemon rind, to produce 1 tablespoon finely grated zest. Keep ‘bald’ lemon for juice.

3.   In a large bowl, rub the zest into the sugar till it releases its citrusy smell. Add flour, baking powder and salt and whisk together. Add egg, vanilla, and butter. Using a fork, work in a circular motion and stir until the dough starts to form large clumps. (You can do this in a mixer if you prefer).

4.   With lightly floured hands, knead gently in bowl until dough comes together in one large, soft mass. Add a little flour if the dough sticks to your hands.

5.   Press dough into your prepared cake tin. You can use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to create an even layer, sprinkling a little flour over the dough if it starts to stick to the cup. Spread apricot jam in a thin layer over the dough.

6.   Peel and quarter apples. Cut core out of each quarter. You are making ‘hasselback’ apples, and this is the most time-consuming part of this cake. Make thin parallel crosswise slices on the back of each quarter, taking care not to cut all the way through so apples stay in one shingled piece. The original recipe said to do this on a board, but I find it’s easier holding the quarter in your hand – you don’t cut all the way through that way.

7.   Arrange apple quarters in concentric circles over surface of dough, trimming to fit if necessary (you may have a few extra pieces).

8.   Bake, rotating halfway through, until apples and crust are golden in color, 55–60 minutes (The apples will not be completely tender, but that’s intentional). Let cool 15 minutes.

9.   Meanwhile, place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Gradually pour in lemon juice, whisking constantly until a thick, pourable glaze forms. Remove sides of springform pan. Lightly brush top and sides of cake with lemon glaze.

10.   Let cool completely before transferring to a plate. Delicious on its own, or served with yoghurt or whipped cream.

FEEDBACK

This cake is easy, delicious, very European and everyone who has a slice wants the recipe.

I think of it as the perfect apple cake because the pastry is dense, half way to a rich biscuit, and it provides a great base for the fruit. In fact, it is such a winner that it would be good with other fresh fruit, such as plums or berries in summer.

I like making the hasselback apples, they give the cake a festive appearance, but if you wanted to try apple slices instead, I’m sure that would work too.

What I’m not sure of is why the apricot jam burned this time round, I’m embarrassed to confess that I haven’t totally adjusted to my new oven yet. (Hangs head in shame.)

Word of warning: this is not a light apple cake, if you want something light, try the next recipe!

APPLE AND RICOTTA

Louisa’s cake is not an apple cake in the pure sense of the word; it contains apples but they don’t dominate.  Nor does the ricotta, the second main ingredient. It’s how the two mix that is this cake’s superpower.

Louisa’s Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 127 g / 4.5 oz / 9 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1 ¼ cups plain or AP flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• zest of 1 lemon

• 250 g / 8 oz / 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

• 1 apple, peeled and grated (about one cup)

• Icing sugar for serving

METHOD

1.   Heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Butter and flour a 23 cm / 9 inch springform baking tin.

2.   Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. On the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time.

3.   Slowly add the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest. Then add the ricotta and apple. It’s quite a heavy mix.

4.   Pour batter into baking tin, smoothe it down, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cake is golden brown and the sides start to pull away from the tin.

5.   Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Serve as is, or sift icing sugar over it and serve with fruit.

FEEDBACK

Who knew that ricotta cheese and apples were such a perfect combination? Or that mixing apples, cheese and pantry staples could produce such an ethereal cake, perfect for afternoon tea, or dressed up with fruit and ice cream for dessert? What I love about this cake is that you can’t really discern the separate ingredients. You just know it’s a rich lemony cake, light but satisfying, and lovely in all settings.

Happy New Year!!!

I’m sure 2020 was good for some people, and not only Jeff Bezos, and the other big pandemic winners; ordinary people who managed to marry or to have their babies despite everything. I acknowledge that I have little cause to complain, since I have (so far) avoided becoming ill and have also moved into a beautiful new home in this village that I love.

But I know that almost everyone is looking forward to a healthier, happier 2021. And maybe, who knows, even some travel again? Certainly an end to the feeling of isolation, and the fear of contact with others, which has characterised the coronavirus.

Wishing that for you and all the wonderful Just Add Love grandmothers.

Stay safe and well and cook good food!