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Escape from L.A. just the ticket

By Kim Davaz

Gesine Bullock-Prado lived in Los Angeles and experienced everything that the L.A. lifestyle implies. As head of her sister’s production company (yes, Sandra Bullock, here known as Sandy), Bullock-Prado lived life in the fast lane in L.A. Not Los Angeles, where certainly many lovely people live, but capital L capital A - the land of excess, power lunches, the latest fashions and scripts being offered by everyone and his dog for her sister’s consideration. Did anyone care about her or was she merely a conduit to her sister?

In “Confections of a Closet Master Baker: One Woman’s Sweet Journey from Unhappy Hollywood Executive to a Contented Country Baker,” Bullock-Prado remembers that when things got to be too much, she baked. Even when she was in school, at times of great stress, she baked.

Finally, the superficiality of L.A. got to her. She and her artist husband moved to a small town in Vermont so she could go to culinary school to become a professional baker.

That plan was sidelined when her already loved macaroons were mentioned in a national story about Sandy. There was not time for school. She had too many orders of macaroons to bake.

“Confections of a Closet Master Baker” takes readers through a day at her bakery in Vermont, beginning at 3:30 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. when she finally goes for a run after the bakery closes. Each hour contains a story and a recipe.

All is not sweetness and light in Bullock-Prado’s life. Her loving, beautiful, opera-singing German mother strictly controlled the eating habits of the family. Baked treats were kept for only the most special occasions.

In spite of, or perhaps because of, her restricted access to sugar, butter and white flour as a child, Bullock-Prado turned to them as a way to express affection. A self-admitted cranky person, she says her interpersonal skills could use some work. While she might be awkward in person (her family apologized often for her behavior by saying she was very shy), her language might be a little salty and she isn’t always nice, a loving and generous person comes out in her baking.

Bullock-Prado holds back one recipe, that for her famous macaroons. What if everyone made their own? Who would come to her bakery?

Plenty of people, that’s who. Even if she did give her recipe, ingredients vary, ovens vary, cooks vary. It’s unlikely anyone would make macaroons exactly like she does. Probably most people wouldn’t even want to try.

In case you want to go to Vermont to pick up some Opera Cake or order some macaroons from her Web site, you can’t. She has closed that bakery but will be opening a new one in Austin, Texas.

Apfelkuchen (apple cake) is from the 4 p.m. chapter. The recipe calls for Granny Smith apples, but use some of the local apples that are available now.

Sit down with a warm slice of apfelkuchen (Bullock-Prado says to let it cool, but that’s asking a lot), a cup of strong coffee and a good friend in the late afternoon, and be thankful for people such as Bullock-Prado who remind us to savor the sweetness in life.

Apfelkuchen

Makes one 8-inch cake.

For the cake:

• 11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing the pan and sauteing the apples
• 8 apples (Granny Smith or an equally tart and firm apple), peeled, cored and sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line it with buttered parchment paper.

Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice.

Melt an extra knob of butter in a large skillet. Saute the apples with the Calvados, tossing occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; cream on high until fluffy.

On slow, add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.

Slowly add the flour, salt and baking powder, mixing until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Smooth the batter and arrange the apples on top in a circular pattern.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until the batter is browned and springy.

While the cake is baking, combine the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and milk in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Gently brush the glaze over the apfelkuchen when it is almost cool but still a little warm, then allow the cake to cool completely.

Kim Davaz writes a biweekly cookbook review column for The Register-Guard.