German Apple Cake

Recipe handed down from my German grandmother

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 pounds of apples, peeled, cored and diced

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• 1 cup butter (substituted Earth Balance sticks)
• 1 tablespoon milk (substituted almond milk)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 3/4 cups flour

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• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

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• 4-5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 6 ounces powdered sugar (a little less than half of a 1 pound box)

METHOD:

• Combine butter (softened), milk, sugar and egg in food processor
• Add flour and process until ball of dough forms
• Place dough in refrigerator until cold and hardened
• Roll out half of the dough and transfer to a greased jelly roll pan
• Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle half over the dough
• Cover dough evenly with the diced apples
• Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar over the apples
• Roll out the other half of the dough and transfer to the jelly roll pan to cover the apples
• Trim excess dough and use to fill in open spots
• Prick dough with fork at 1 inch intervals to allow steam to escape
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until dough turns golden brown
• Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar to make glaze
• Brush glaze over cake while cake is still warm
• Refrigerate cake when cool

It takes a lot of apples!

My grandmother taught me to loosely roll the dough over the rolling pin to transfer it to the jelly roll pan.

Fill in holes with trimmed overhanging dough - it won't matter what it looks like in the finished product.

Be sure to line the rack below the cookie sheet because juice will leak out and make a mess (and set off the smoke alarm).

The lemon glaze covers up imperfections in the top dough where it was pieced together.