Story submitted by Janet Baum
The Story Behind the Recipe:
For twenty plus years, Iris and Jerry Zahler hosted an Erev Rosh Hashana Open House, at the big, white house on Fairmount Blvd. The street was lined with cars; the front porch was packed, and the buffet table was laden with desserts. Friends from everywhere: lifelong friends, the neighborhood, their business lives, from school-everyone came. The crowd grew generationally as kids went to college and then returned, with more family and new love interests. It was the time to reconnect and renew the strong, Jewish, Cleveland bonds. Yes, we lamented the Browns and the Cavs, too. No matter what time you went to shul, or if you didn’t go, everyone came to the Zahler’s for a sweet start to the new year. This recipe is taken from her table.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar (divided use)
1 tsp vanilla (divided use)
1 cup flour
1-8oz. package cream cheese-softened or room temperature
1 egg
4 cups sliced apples (skinned and cut into 1” pieces)
1/3 cup slivered almonds
½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
Use a springform pan. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
To make crust, combine butter, ¼ C sugar, ½ tsp vanilla and flour in a mixing bowl and use the paddle attachment.
Combine butter and sugar first. When it is pale in color, add vanilla and flour. Press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
This will be a sugar cookie-type crust.
Combine cream cheese, ½ C sugar, egg and ½ tsp vanilla. Blend for 3-4 minutes on medium speed. Should come together and nicely.
In a separate bowl, place diced apples, almonds, remaining sugar and cinnamon and toss completely.
Layer cream cheese batter on top of the crust, then spread the apples and slivered almonds on top.
Bake at 450 degrees for ten minutes. Reduce oven to 400 and continue cooking for 25 more minutes. Let cool and refrigerate before serving. Delicious!
1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar (divided use)
1 tsp vanilla (divided use)
1 cup flour
1-8oz. package cream cheese-softened or room temperature
1 egg
4 cups sliced apples (skinned and cut into 1” pieces)
1/3 cup slivered almonds
½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
Use a springform pan. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
To make crust, combine butter, ¼ C sugar, ½ tsp vanilla and flour in a mixing bowl and use the paddle attachment.
Combine butter and sugar first. When it is pale in color, add vanilla and flour. Press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
This will be a sugar cookie-type crust.
Combine cream cheese, ½ C sugar, egg and ½ tsp vanilla. Blend for 3-4 minutes on medium speed. Should come together and nicely.
In a separate bowl, place diced apples, almonds, remaining sugar and cinnamon and toss completely.
Layer cream cheese batter on top of the crust, then spread the apples and slivered almonds on top.
Bake at 450 degrees for ten minutes. Reduce oven to 400 and continue cooking for 25 more minutes. Let cool and refrigerate before serving. Delicious!