Custardy Apple Squares — Best Fall Breakfast Sweet

Ingredients

• 3 medium juicy, sweet apples, peeled (see note below about apples I used)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (67 grams) sugar (I used Vanilla Sugar)
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I used Heilala Vanilla Extract)
• 6 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce; 28 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I used Gurunanda Ghee Clarified Butter, which is liquid at room temperature)
• Zest of one orange or 1 lemon (optional)
• 1/2 cup (68 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Center a rack in the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly mist an 8-inch square baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside. (Dorie also lines the bottom with parchment paper, which I did in the photo, but I find after making this several times, it isn't necessary.)
2. Slice the apples. You may use a mandoline if you have it -- turn the fruit as you reach the core. Or keep it simple as I did and quarter the apples with a paring knife, remove stem and core, peel, and slice each quarter very thinly (about 8 slices per quarter). The slices should be about 1/16th inch thick-- elegantly thin, but not so thin that they're transparent and fragile. Discard cores. Set apple slices aside.
3. Working in a large bowl with a whisk, beat the eggs, sugar and salt together for about 2 minutes, until the sugar just about dissolves and, more important, the eggs are pale. This will give your arm a welcome workout. You may skip 2 pushups at the gym later. Whisk in the vanilla, then the milk and melted butter (or ghee if you are using), and zest if you are using.
4. Add flour and baking powder into the bowl and stir with the whisk until the batter is smooth. Add the apples, switch to a flexible spatula and gently fold the apples into the batter, turning everything around until each thin apple slice is coated in batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top as evenly as you can--it will be bumpy; that's its nature.
5. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown, uniformly puffed-- make sure the middle of the cake has risen--and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (Mine was done at 40 minutes.) Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
6. Using a long knife, cut the cake into 8-9 squares/rectangles in the pan (being careful not to damage the pan), or unmold the cake onto a rack, flip it onto a plate and cut into squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if you'd like.
7. Makes 6-8 servings.

Notes