Apple Cobbler-Stuffed Apples

Baked apples are so simple, and so good--so I decided to go one step further.  I hollowed out honey crisp apples from the stem end, leaving the bottom part intact, and I chopped up the scooped-out apple and sauteed it briefly in butter, adding a little brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.  I used that mixture to refill the apples as much as possible.  Because the apple pieces had cooked down (and the stem was gone), there was more space for the topping--a mixture of soft butter, oats, brown sugar, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon.  I filled the apples the rest of the way up and baked them, uncovered, for about 30 min., until they were soft.  Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of cream, or, as we did, just by themselves. They're not really photogenic, but they still taste good.

                                                       Before they went into the oven ...

Chicken Burgers with Red Cabbage Slaw and Apples

Sometimes you need to switch things up a bit with chicken.  I love it, and eat it more than any other meat, but it's easy to get stuck in a chicken rut.  I saw this recipe in Fine Cooking and was inspired to try it.  I used ground chicken breast, which they said not to do, but the burgers were still moist and flavorful.  Sometimes you have to go with what's available--and to that end, I left out the celery, because I didn't have any.  The finely diced apple in the burgers doesn't jump out as apply, but it helps keep the burgers juicy and light.  I added freshly grated ginger to both the burger mixture and the slaw--because it's good with almost everything, and I wanted a little more kick--and I added about a tablespoon of light brown sugar to the slaw for a little bit of a sweet and sour effect.  I served this with roasted acorn that was drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

Sunday Brunch

On a suddenly cold, rainy Sunday, what's better than a cozy, leisurely brunch?  We had a ton of food for five people, but that's how it should be.  Brunch is my favorite meal--you can go in so many directions, and you're supposed to have plenty.  You don't have a bowl of cereal for brunch.  I made a leek and goat cheese frittata, a cinnamon-apple coffee cake made with sour cream and lots of pecans, and chocolate chip-cranberry cream scones.  We also had a selection of cheeses, smoked fish, fruit, olives, nuts, the requisite coffee, apple cider, and pear cider with prosecco--which is every bit as tasty as it sounds.

New Year, New Apple Cake

I saw this cake in the paper recently and found it hard to get out of my mind.  Not that it's bad to have cakes on the brain, but it can get a little distracting sometimes.  And hunger-inducing.  But a recipe that was well-loved, buttery, apply, beautiful, and easy should not be ignored.  The batter mixed up in about five minutes.  Thinly sliced raw apples are arranged on top -- and that part did take some time, but the sunflower effect isn't necessary.  This would be just as good with chopped up apples tumbled on top.  Pears could also be used, or even berries or stone fruit would work as well.  I served it with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.

Baked Apple-Cinnamon French Toast

It always amazes me how a few simple ingredients can come together and taste so good. In this case, some long-frozen challah, an apple, some eggs and milk combined to make a comforting Sunday breakfast on a chilly morning.
I sliced the bread into four thick slices and shingled them in a baking pan.  I then mixed together four eggs, two cups of milk, some brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger etc) and a dash of vanilla, and poured it all over the bread.  You could do this ahead of time and let it soak overnight, but 10-15 min. works just fine.  I tucked the apple slices in and around the bread, covered the pan, and baked it for about 45 min.  At that point, I took off the foil, sprinkled on some pecans, and let it all cook another 15 min, uncovered.  The bread puffed up, the apples had caramelized a bit on top, and the pecans were all toasty.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thanksgiving Just Desserts

After the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and squash, there's not always a lot of room for dessert on Thanksgiving. Still, I usually make three or four pies and cakes so we can have choices. But this year, thinking more is better, and having more people over, I made seven desserts. Yes, seven--it's not like I made 19 pies or anything. From front to back, we had classic apple pie, raspberry key lime tart, pumpkin chiffon pie, carrot cake, chocolate-cranberry-pecan pie, apple crumble cake, and mocha buttercrunch pie. Possibly it was too much ... but I don't think so. One day later, and there's not too much left.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Israeli Couscous with Cranberries, Apples and Almonds

This recipe, from Giada, is one of my new favorites. Israeli, or pearl, couscous is mixed with dried cranberries, chopped up apple, and toasted almonds, all in an herby apple cider vinaigrette. It's good hot ... warm ... or just out of the fridge, if it lasts that long. I served this with apricot chicken, maple roasted butternut squash and carrots, and a big green salad.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

All-in-One-Thanksgiving Cake

This recipe combines pumpkin, apples, pecans, and cranberries. Technically, I think it's called an all-in-one holiday cake, but to me it just says Thanksgiving. All that's missing is the turkey--but I don't want turkey in my cake. I was a little dubious with the combination--everything all in together?--but it's so good. It's not too sweet, and it disappeared very quickly. It was a great first use for my cool new cathedral Bundt pan.

Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins

I love apple cider doughnuts--warm, sweet, crispy, and slightly apply. What's not to love? But I don't love frying, so I decided to make doughnut muffins instead. I used a doughnut muffin recipe from KAF and one of my new favorite products: boiled cider syrup.  Once the muffins are brushed with butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, I don't know that they're any healthier than a regular doughnut. They are easier to make, though, and that makes a difference.

Sandwich Perfection

This is not just a sandwich. This is apples, d'Affinois, bacon, and avocado. Crunchy, sweet, creamy, salty, and smooth.  On challah, no less.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Apple Crumb Pie

It's hard to believe that October is almost over, and this is my first apple pie of the season. There are so many kinds of apple pie (tarts, tortes, tatins), and I feel it's my duty to investigate them all. The things I do. I picked this recipe when I wanted pie and a voice chimed in for something cobblery (the sugary, crunchy topping, I think.). The base recipe is from Martha, but I added lots of ginger (to the topping and filling), used dried cranberries instead of raisins, and used a springform pan instead of a pie plate, which seems to have disappeared (and wouldn't have been deep enough anyhow.)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Apples n' Honey Challah

Tis the season for apples and honey, but it's hard to find a better combination for challah. Except maybe some soft butter on top. The round shape represents the circle of life and the cycle of a new year.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thanksgiving 2010

Happy Thanksgiving! Our table was very full and happy this year, with lots of family, friends and food. The main meal is pretty traditional, including roast turkey, Mom's famous stuffing, mountains of mashed potatoes, roasted butternut squash, and homemade cranberry-orange sauce. However, my focus was on making the desserts. We had four desserts this year--and sadly, now only slivers of these remain.

Cheddar-apple pie, with lots of cheddar cheese mixed into the crust

 

Salted caramel banana pudding tart

 

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

 

Pumpkin chiffon pie

Apple-y Apple Cake

There are a lot of apple cake recipes out there, and pretty much everyone you ask says their recipe is the best. I found this recipe in a cooking forum where people were just falling all over themselves saying how good this is. And they were right -- it really is that good.  I added a few more spices to the cake, but all the flavors really shine together.  This cake is full of apples, but you taste the butter, pecans, and spices, too.

Apple Cake
(based on the recipe in Ronald Johnson's An American Table)

4 c apples peeled and cut into a small dice
1 c chopped pecans
1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon (I used 1 tsp cinnamon, heaping 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, big pinch of cloves, and 1-2 tsp chopped crystallized ginger)
2 eggs
2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Mix in the vanilla and then the spices.  Add the eggs one at a time.

Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Then add the dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with the chopped apples and pecans.  The batter will be very stiff.

Spoon into a thoroughly buttered Bundt pan (I used two mini Bundts and the six-inch heart above), and bake at 350 degrees for about one hour (til golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean ... smaller cakes will take less time.)

Cool briefly in the pan and then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Apple Pie Bars

The idea behind this recipe is that a traditional round apple pie is hard to divide among groups of larger than, say, eight people. So this recipe is baked in a 9x13 pan, with top and bottom crusts and some breadcrumbs scattered on the bottom to absorb some of the juices. The bars can then be cut into 16 to 20 good-sized pieces. And they taste and slice even better the next day. When I make this again, I'll mix the apples and cinnamon sugar together before they go into the crust and will use fewer breadcrumbs. These bars are good for dessert, but they also make very good breakfasts on the go. Ahem. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Quick Apple Tart

Leftover dough from a quiche, one apple, and a little sugar. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Not Your Basic Blintzes

Crisp on the outside and soft inside, these cheese blintzes are delicious. They start with extra-thin crepes that are cooked on one side only. They are then filled with a mixture of soft cheeses (farmer, cottage, and cream) along with vanilla, egg yolks, and a little sugar. The blintzes are pan-fried, though you could bake them instead, and served warm. I topped them with cinnamon applesauce and sliced strawberries. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Apple Cider Challah

What better way to celebrate the weekend than with fresh bread? Warm apple cider challah, lightly spread with butter. Yum. The recipe comes from a great new (to me) site, the Jew and the Carrot. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Rosh Hoshanah

Happy New Year! This year, with a mid-week Rosh Hoshanah, I kept things fairly simple, though still very flavorful. We had chicken roasted with honey and wine, rosemary potatoes, and honey-glazed carrots. For dessert, I baked an apple layer cake -- I made it like a carrot cake but with apples and a slightly cinnamony cream cheese frosting. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tarte Tatin

Continuing the French theme last night, I also made a tarte tatin. Even more so than the soufflé, this apple tart is super easy, requiring only four ingredients if you use puff pastry. Dorie Greenspan was right when she said that after you make a tarte tatin once, you won't need a recipe -- it's just that simple. In a 10-inch skillet melt one stick (4 oz) of butter, sprinkle in 3/4 c sugar, and let cook for about a minute. Then add four to five quartered apples (peeled and seeded baking apples), arranging them in the sugar-butter mixture and adding more slices of apple as needed to fill any gaps. Let cook for 20-30 min., til the sugar has caramelized -- you want a fairly deep color here. Then put one sheet of puff pastry over the top, tucking in any overhanging edges carefully -- the caramel is very hot. Put the pan into a 375 degree oven and bake for 25 min., til the dough is a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes. Then invert the pan onto a platter, and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone