One of the cooks highlighted in a day celebrating Jewish food history and the presence of the Jews in France was Huguette Uhry. I first noticed her intriguing recipe for frou-frou chalet on the Web site www.LeJudaïsmeAlsacien.com. Similar to a light, caramelized apple tarte Tatin, it is traditionally served at the dinner prior to the fast of Yom Kippur. When I called Madame Uhry, she walked me through the recipe and told me that frou-frou means “the rustling of silk” or “to make a fuss,” and a charlotte—or, as she spells it, chalet—means a kind of apple cake. You can substitute Passover cake meal for the flour.
Recipe information
Yield
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a 9-inch springform or cake pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
Mix 1 cup of the sugar with 1/3 cup water in a heavy saucepan set over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high, and cook without stirring. Periodically swirl the pan and brush down the sides with a wet pastry brush. Cook until dark amber in color. Watch carefully! When it browns, this caramel can burn very quickly. Pour the caramel into the bottom of the cake pan, and cool for about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Whisk together in a medium bowl the egg yolks and the remaining cup of sugar until pale yellow. Add the brandy or eau-de-vie, and continue whisking until incorporated. Stir in the flour, the salt, and the almonds, and then fold in the apples.
Step 4
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, and gently fold them into the apple mixture.
Step 5
Pour the batter over the caramel, and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, flip the chalet over onto a serving plate, and serve warm, with the caramel side up.
