Auntie Jean's Apple Macaroon

(From Mary Knox)

My dear Auntie Jean was a good cook. She had to be - Uncle George was a judge, and his fellow judges and other bigwigs had to be entertained at dinner parties. On one memorable occasion she served up a lovely dinner: and when they had all gone home she discovered the serving dish of peas still sitting in the warming drawer!

But for more normal family occasions she had some unassuming recipes. This one has become a great favourite in our family. It's the easiest apple dessert I know. You can tell how much we love it from the state of the recipe card.


Method:

Peel and slice 5-6 apples (apples were smaller in those days in Canada, so you may only need 3 or 4). Put them in a buttered pie dish.

Sprinkle over them a scant half cup of sugar, with a little cinnamon mixed into it.

Cream 4 tablespoons of butter (that's about a quarter of a cup or 2 ounces). Beat in a small half cup of sugar then 1 egg, then half a cup of flour sifted with a pinch of salt. Spread it over the apples.

Bake for 30 minutes in a moderate oven.

Variations:
This has a slightly crunchy top. If you prefer a more cakey top, add a quarter of a teaspoon of baking powder to the flour. I sometimes put in a few blackberries. Or you can use plums instead of apples - in that case increase the sugar on the fruit to 3/4 of a cup, use slightly more flour in the mixture, and omit the cinnamon. I plan to try it with apricots some time.