Besta's Danish Apple Cake

Ingredients:
3 packages Graham Crackers

1/4 pound of butter (one stick)

apple sauce

home made whipped cream

Directions:

1. Melt one stick of butter - we always used salted butter

2. Use rolling pin to crumble graham crackers (fine) FOOD PROCESSOR DOES NOT WORK WELL We would put the graham crackers in a bag and the youngest children would sort of roll the rolling pin back and forth until the crackers were crumbled.

3. Mix the graham crackers crumbs with the butter

4. Layer the graham crackers and apple sauce layer by layer with top and bottom layers being crackers.

5. Keep in refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. It should be eaten right away as the crackers get mushy.

6. Top with whipped cream!

To start with, Besta is short for "Beste'mor" which means "best mother" or Grandmother in Danish. My husband (now 70 years old) used to make this cake with his Besta. It didn't require any baking, so it was a fun thing to make with children. The young children would get to roll the crackers into crumbs and then sprinkle a handful into the bowl. Next they would get to drop spoonfuls of apple sauce on top of the crumbs. This was repeated over and over until the bowl was near full. The final layer was crumbs. This was then placed in the refrigerator to get cold while the whipped cream was being made. Then the children proudly shared it with everyone to enjoy. After you put a scoop or two of the chilled Danish Apple Cake in a bowl, you would top it with some whipped cream.

My mother in law, also Besta, made this wonderful cake with my three children. I would remember hearing the squeals of joy as they "helped" make the cake. It usually resulted in the kitchen being covered with graham cracker crumbs as they assembled their masterpiece.

Now, I have 7 grandchildren. I am also called Besta and I quickly learned how much fun I could have making this cake with even the youngest of my grandchildren. They can really assemble it themselves and love eating it as well. My dog helps by cleaning up the crumbs that hit the floor.. LOL

Of all the fancy deserts that I could serve, nothing lights of the faces of my husband, my children, and my grandchildren as Danish Apple Cake made and proudly served by the grandkids!

Submitted by Karen