Since I haven't been posting much in the last few days, here's a recipe that my mom made the other day that kicked ass. I think she got it from the New York Times originally.

Updated 11/1: Just found it posted again to the NYTimes web site with corrections (thanks to ellen).

Bolzano Apple Cake

Time: 1 1/4 Hours

• 1 stick butter (4 ounces), plus more for greasing pan
• 1/2 cup flour, plus more for pan
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 1/4 lbs Granny Smith apples (3 to 4 small to medium)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk at room temperature
• Powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 375 Degrees. Line 8-inch square pan with foil, then smear with think layer of butter. Dust with flour; turn pan over, and tap lightly to remove excess flour.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Set aside. Beat together eggs and half of sugar in a bowl. Continue to beat while slowly adding remaining sugar until thick; it should form a ribbon when dropped from spoon.
3. Split vanilla bean in two lengthwise. Scrape seeds into the egg-sugar batter and add pod to melted butter.
4. Peel, quarter and core apples, then trim ends and slice thinly.
5. Remove vanilla pod from butter and stir butter into sugar-egg batter. Combine 1/2 cup flower and baking powerder, then stir it into batter alternately with milk. Stir in apples, coating every piece with batter. Pour batter into pan, using fingers to pat top evenly.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan; bake for about 25 m minutes more, until cake pulls away from pan and is brown on top; a thin bladed knife inserted into the center will come out clean when it is done. Cool 30 minutes, then cut lengthwise and sprinkle slices with powdered sugar.

Yield: 6 to 8 services