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Apfel im Schlafrock (Apples in Dressing Gowns)

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Apfel im Schlafrock (Apples in Dressing Gowns)

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.

Apfel im Shlafrock - The Process

The process.

Translation Is Under Way

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It seems that I have two conflicting New Year’s resolutions. The first is to get the cookbook translated and try it’s (hopefully) wonderful pastries recipes; the second is to lose 10 pounds. Story of my life. I love pastries and baked goods. That’s probably an understatement. It’s more like a dog seeing a squirrel when I see a Patisserie sign. Just ask my husband who graciously endured the summer I decided to improve my pie crusts by making a pie a week. That wasn’t very beneficial for our waistlines either. Well, at least I’ll stick to one of my resolutions.

The translation process has begun. It was such a surprise to have a flood of translators applying for my project. I closed the job post 20 hours after I placed it because I already had 17 candidates. Some I could eliminate right away since they weren’t native German speakers or their experience seemed limited to business translations. Others though were really intriguing.

Meike's appplication to translate the cookbook.

Meike’s application.

I received these wonderfully personal letters from applicants who were also avid cooks, history buffs, and genealogists. They offered helpful translations tidbits, like the old German script is called Sütterlin and a German pound = 500 grams while an American pound= 454 grams. Ultimately the choice of translator came down to three things: 1. enthusiasm for the project, 2. ability to read the handwritten copy, and 3. a sample translation test.

The translator I selected, Meike, is terrific. Her English is top notch, she’s quick at translation, and she’s been giving me great tips as well, like the fact that German eggs were smaller in the 1920’s than the average eggs we get at the market today.

Now that I have a couple of recipes from the sample translations I thought I’d try one out this weekend. The first one that caught my eye is called Apfel im Schlafrock (literally Apples in Dressing Gown). It involves thick apple slices soaked in rum and something called arrack, then battered, fried and turned in sugar and cinnamon. New Year’s Resolution Score: cookbook resolution = 1 / diet resolution = 0.