APPLE SQUARES, TOPPED WITH MERINGUE and different fillings /PLACINTA CU MERE SI BEZEA/

(my childhood most loved  fall dessert)

 CRUST

  

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cup   all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts chopped (optional)

 My mother's recipe book:

APPLE FILING:

5 lb. apple, cored, peeled and thin sliced +

2 tablespoons sugar

MERINGUE:

4  egg whites (120g)
+1 cup sugar (200g) 

+1 teaspoon lemon juice 

+ (optional), 1 cup sliced walnuts, fold in meringue just before topping the apple squares.  

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

 In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats. Add raisins and walnuts, if using them.

At this point you can either chill the dough 2h, up to next day.

 

SET UP:

Next day, on a greased oven pan 10”/13” roll thin dough having a little margin up.

Add apple prepared for strudel (5 lb. sliced apple, add 2 tablespoon of sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon).

Add meringue on top: 4 egg whites, one teaspoon lemon juice and 1 cup sugar, well whipped. One can add 1 cup walnuts, sliced, in the meringue after is whipped. 

the meringue is not ready, yet....looks dull and not so fluffy.....

             It is ready! You don't feel the sugar when rubbing your fingers, 

         there is full of light and is very fluffy!

 

Bake 275 F for an hour. 

Cut in squares, as it is warm. 

 

Bone Appetite, or as we say in Romanian "pofta buna!"

Filling:   #1 cheese 

500g  ricotta

250g cottage cheese

3 tablespoons sour cream

5 tablespoons sugar

4 eggs

4 tablespoons farina

50g raisin

1 tablespoon vanilla essence

 

HALF APPLES,  HALF CHEESE.....

Filling:  #2 jam and walnuts

 1 cup jam, thick ( plum, seedless raspberry )

 1 cup coarse ground walnuts.