St. Euphrosynos the Cook + Lenten Apple Cake Recipe

St. Euphrosynos the Cook
celebrated September 11

Saint Euphrosynus the Cook was from one of the Palestinian monasteries, and his obedience was to work in the kitchen as a cook. Toiling away for the brethren, Saint Euphrosynus did not absent himself from thought about God, but rather dwelt in prayer and fasting. He remembered always that obedience is the first duty of a monk, and therefore he was obedient to the elder brethren.

The patience of the saint was amazing: they often reproached him, but he made no complaint and endured every unpleasantness. Saint Euphrosynus pleased the Lord by his inner virtue which he concealed from people, and the Lord Himself revealed to the monastic brethren the spiritual heights of their unassuming fellow-monk.

One of the priests of the monastery prayed and asked the Lord to show him the blessings prepared for the righteous in the age to come. The priest saw in a dream what Paradise is like, and he contemplated its inexplicable beauty with fear and with joy.

He also saw there a monk of his monastery, the cook Euphrosynus. Amazed at this encounter, the presbyter asked Euphrosynus, how he came to be there. The saint answered that he was in Paradise through the great mercy of God. The priest again asked whether Euphrosynus would be able to give him something from the surrounding beauty. Saint Euphrosynus suggested to the priest to take whatever he wished, and so the priest pointed to three luscious apples growing in the garden of Paradise. The monk picked the three apples, wrapped them in a cloth, and gave them to his companion.

When he awoke in the early morning, the priest thought the vision a dream, but suddenly he noticed next to him the cloth with the fruit of Paradise wrapped in it, and emitting a wondrous fragrance. The priest, found Saint Euphrosynus in church and asked him under oath where he was the night before. The saint answered that he was where the priest also was. Then the monk said that the Lord, in fulfilling the prayer of the priest, had shown him Paradise and had bestown the fruit of Paradise through him, “ the lowly and unworthy servant of God, Euphrosynus.”

The priest related everything to the monastery brethren, pointing out the spiritual loftiness of Euphrosynus in pleasing God, and he pointed to the fragrant paradaisical fruit. Deeply affected by what they heard, the monks went to the kitchen, in order to pay respect to Saint Euphrosynus, but they did not find him there. Fleeing human glory, the monk had left the monastery. The place where he concealed himself remained unknown, but the monks always remembered that their monastic brother Saint Euphrosynus had come upon Paradise, and that they in being saved, through the mercy of God would meet him there. They reverently kept and distributed pieces of the apples from Paradise for blessing and for healing.

Apple Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup oil
• powdered sugar, for sprinkling
• (You can also add 1 cup of nuts or raisins if desired)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place apples and sugar in pot and simmer until sugar begins to melt. Do not boil apples. Remove from heat.
3. Combine, flour, spices, salt, (and nuts & raisins if using).
4. Add oil and vanilla to apples sugar mixture and blend well.
5. Add to flour mixture and mix until well blended. Batter will be thick.
6. Spread evenly in a greased pan (I prefer bundt pans for this cake).
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
8. When completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!!