This is my first recipe from the Castle Cook’s notebook and it turned out great!

A quick Google search informed me that Apfel im Schlafrock is most commonly prepared by baking apples wrapped in pastry crust. This recipe is prepared more like a donut or an apple fritter. I was nervous about adding the Arak, which is a anise-flavored, high-octane liquor (like ouzo), and I expected them to turn out heavy, like an American donut. Instead they turned out to be elegant—not too sweet, with a delicate bite for a finish. I could imagine them being served for dessert in a high-end restaurant with whipped cream or garnished pastry cream and berry sauce.

Apfel im Schlafrock (Apples in Dressing Gowns)

2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick round slices (1/2 inch)
½ cup rum
1 Tbsp. arak
1/8 cup sugar
1 cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
½ tsp. vanilla
Neutrally flavored cooking oil, like canola oil
½ cup powder sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon

Peel and core the apples. Cut apples into thick round slices about (½ inch thick). Lay the slices flat in a shallow baking dish. Stir together the rum, arak, and 1/8 cup of sugar until the sugar dissolves. Pour mixture over the apple slices and let marinated for 1 hour, flipping slices a couple of times.

Make the batter. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add buttermilk, beaten egg, melted margarine and vanilla, stirring well after each addition.

Poor cooking oil in a deep fryer or cast iron skillet (enough to cover the slices—at least ½ inch).  Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Remove apple slices from the marinade and drain. Dip the apple slices into the batter, then into the hot oil. Fry, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown (1-2 minutes per side). Remove the fried apples from the hot oil with a slotted spoon or tongs and place them on an absorbent paper to drain. While still warm, sprinkle both sides with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

The process.