Kitchen Witch

Isle of Apples Cake

by lily

Fall is the time of the year when I want to spend Saturday morning cooking something delicious. The aroma of apples and cinnamon baking is a hearty welcome to the cooling temperatures outside and the turning of the wheel. This is a variation of a recipe that has been in my family for several generations. It's sure to be enjoyed by your loved ones and ancestors alike.

Ingredients

2 large apples (Pippins are my favorite)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped walnuts
3/4 c. raisins
1 c. flour
2 eggs, or egg replacer equivalent
1 c. granulated sugar, or 1 c. date sugar
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. baking soda
a pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gather the ingredients and your tools: a large bowl, a 9" square or round pan, a wooden spoon, a knife, a chopping board, measuring cups and spoons, and pot holders. Take a moment to breathe deep and ground yourself before you begin.
2. Grease the pan with some oil or non-stick cooking spray.
3. Peel the apples. Slice one of the apples in half across the middle, then cut a quarter-inch slice from one of the halves. You should end up with a round apple slice with the core and seeds forming a pentacle in the center. Carefully remove the seeds from the slice and set it aside. Cut out the cores and chop up the rest of the apples into quarter-inch cubes.
4. Measure and mix together all the ingredients except the apples in the large bowl with the spoon until well-blended. Stir in the apples while chanting a spell:
   Juicy fruit of the Shining Isle,
   Cook in my oven a little while.
   Flour, spices, apple meat,
   Transform into a delicious treat.
   Pentacle top to protect us well,
   Fill my home with your luscious smell.
   Ancestors and family to be nourished all,
   Welcome crisp air, welcome fall.
5. Pour the magical mixture into the greased pan and smooth out the batter so it's mostly even. Lovingly press the pentacle apple slice into the top so it nests in the batter.
6. Bake the cake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until it is firm to the touch. You can check and see if it's done by poking a toothpick into the cake — if it comes out with sticky or wet batter then it needs to cook a little longer. When it's ready, remove it from the oven with pot holders and set it somewhere safe to cool for a while. You can either serve it at room temperature, or when warm. Truthfully, you'll only serve it at room temperature once, because it will be eaten straight out of the oven once you and your family know how good it tastes. Yummy!

May you never hunger.

You too can be a Kitchen Witch! Do you have a favorite recipe to share with RQ readers? Send it to Kitchen Witch Corner! You write the recipe and the spell, or you write the recipe and we'll write the spell. Send your recipes to Kitchen Witch, Reclaiming Quarterly, PO Box 14404, San Francisco, CA 94114, quarterly@reclaiming.org