As I was helping my son with his history project about Isaac Newton I realized I didn’t remember many details about his life I’ve learned during my high school years. For example, do you remember that he was born on Christmas Day, 25 December 1642 an hour or two after midnight, at Woolsthorpe Manor in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, a hamlet in the county of Lincolnshire. It is sad to mention that his father who was also named Isaac Newton died three months before his birth. He was left with his mother who soon found another man and married him. However, little Isaac hated his stepfather. When the couple got married they leaved him to his grandmother Margery, abandoning him ever since. From the age of twelve up to seventeen he was educated at The King’s School, Grantham.
He pursued a college degree after the recommendation of his uncle at the Trinity College, Cambridge. From his early college years, he showed his sharp mind in mathematics and science and got many scholarships in these specific subjects. This man who suffered his mother’s abundance, became an exceptional member of the scientific community with exquisite discoveries.
It is said that while he was sitting under a tree in his farm, he observed an apple falling on the ground. As he told us the first thing that came to his mind was: “Why the apple falls down instead of going up?” “What is that mysterious power or force that attracts every object on earth?” That was the beginning of the great discovery of gravity. The force that attracts all objects to the earth!
If we stop and think about it, it is amazing how the mind of some people works in braking steadfast limits and frontiers and discovering new things.
A friend of my father’s brought him three large lugs of apples the other day and my father thought we should share since they would be unable to consume them all. So, I have started to put them in good use and try to consume them before they get rotten. Plus, the fact that they occupy a very large place in my second fridge, the one I have for my supplies.
I decided than to make an applesauce and then since I am in a cake mood lately I thought of making a vanilla cake with an applesauce layer in between. It is pure heaven and since it is apple season I highly recommend it to you. I glazed it with a white chocolate mirror glaze but that was purely for decorating purposes. It can be eaten as it is or make another frosting according to your taste.
- 1,5 kilos / 3.3 lb apples
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cloves
- The seeds of one vanilla bean + the vanilla bean itself
- 1 ½ cup self rising flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- The applesauce can be made the day befor since it is cooked in a slowcooker.
- Cut the apples in small pieces.
- Add all the ingredients in your slow cooker and cook in low for 10 hours.
- I put it to work the night before and in the morning the applesauce was ready.
- Remove the vanilla bean and the cinnamon stick and place it in the fridge.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in your stand mixer’s bowl.
- Beat the butter slowly slowly until the batter looks like coarse sand.
- Add the sugar and continue to mix in low speed.
- Add the eggs one at a time.
- Pour the vanilla and milk and mix until they are very well incorporated.
- Butter and flour a 20cm/8in. round cake pan and pour the batter in it.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C / 350°F for about 30 to 35 minutes until the knife comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Cut in the middle and in the lower half spread a thick layer of applesauce.
- Cover with the other half and serve.
- 1,5 κιλό μήλα
- 1 φλ. νερό
- 3 κ.σ. καστανή ζάχαρη
- ½ κ.σ. λεμόνι χυμό
- 2 κ.γ. βούτυρο
- 1 στικ κανέλας
- ½ κ.γ. κανέλα
- ¼ κ.γ. γαρίφαλο
- Τους σπόρους από ένα φασόλι βανίλιας + τη βανίλια, την ίδια
- 1 ½ φλ. αλεύρι που φουσκώνει μόνο του
- 1 ½ κ.γ. μπέικιν πάουντερ
- Μια πρέζα αλάτι
- ½ φλ. βούτυρο σε θερμοκρασία δωματίου
- 1 φλ. ζάχαρη
- 2 μεγάλα αυγά
- 1 κ.γ. εκχύλισμα βανίλιας
- ½ φλ. πλήρες γάλα
- Η σάλτσα μήλου μπορεί να γίνει την προηγούμενη ημέρα δεδομένου ότι είναι φτιαγμένη στη slowcooker.
- Κόψτε τα μήλα σε κομματάκια.
- Προσθέστε όλα τα υλικά στη slowcooker και μαγειρέψτε σε χαμηλή θερμοκρασία για 10 ώρες.
- Την έβαλα να λειτουργήσει το προηγούμενο βράδυ και το πρωί η σάλτσα ήταν έτοιμη.
- Αν δεν έχετε slowcooker, βάλτε όλα τα υλικά σε μία κατσαρόλα και βράστε πρώτα σε σε δυνατή φωτιά και μετά χαμηλώστε και βράστε μέχρι να μαλακώσουν τα μήλα και να απορροφηθεί το περισσότερο υγρό.
- Αφαιρέστε τη βανίλια και την κανέλα και τοποθετήστε το στο ψυγείο.
- Κοσκινίστε το αλεύρι, το μπέικιν πάουντερ και το αλάτι στον κάδο του μίξερ.
- Χτυπάμε το βούτυρο σιγά-σιγά, έως ότου η ζύμη μοιάζει με χοντρή άμμο.
- Προσθέστε τη ζάχαρη και συνεχίστε να αναμειγνύετε σε χαμηλή ταχύτητα.
- Προσθέστε τα αυγά ένα ένα.
- Ρίξτε τη βανίλια και το γάλα και ανακατέψτε μέχρι να ενσωματωθούν πολύ καλά.
- Βουτυρώστε και αλευρώστε ένα στρογγυλό ταψάκι με διάμετρο 20 εκατοστών και ρίξτε το χυλό σε αυτό.
- Ψήστε σε προθερμασμένο φούρνο στους 175°C για περίπου 30-35 λεπτά μέχρι το μαχαίρι να βγαίνει καθαρό.
- Βγάλτε από το φούρνο και αφήστε να κρυώσει.
- Κόψτε το στη μέση και στο κάτω μισό απλώστε ένα παχύ στρώμα της σάλτσας μήλου.
- Σκεπάστε με το άλλο μισό και σερβίρετε.
