caramel apple cake

Make sure you check out a good photo of this cake on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe as this photo does not do it justice at all.

Different from other apple cakes, this one has a terrific cream cheese layer laced throughout as well as a yummy glaze on top.  I made it around Thanksgiving and I keep meaning to write about it as it was really quite good.  Eric asked what was in it, and I immediately got defensive (aggressively asking, why??) and he said that well, he just really liked it and was curious!  Jeez, I gotta calm down.  Anyway, it was good.  Really tasty and stayed moist and lip smacking good for several days.  I served it with a caramel sauce but it really isn’t necessary given the glaze.  If you want to make the sauce, just look at the link and directions are there.

Make this a day before you plan to serve it and don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients as it is really very simple to throw together.

caramel apple cake (from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)

cake

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 medium apples (for about 3 cups chopped)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1 1/4 cups canola oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs

cream cheese filling

8 ounces cream cheese (not whipped) room temp
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

glaze

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease a 9 or 10 inch bundt pan.  All over.

In a smallish bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In another bowl, combine the chopped apples with the lemon juice.  Add the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract.

With hand held beaters or an electric mixer, beat together the oil, sugar and other teaspoon vanilla.  Follow with the eggs one at a time and mix well.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended.

Strain the apples to remove any excess liquid and add to the batter mixing just to incorporate.  Do not over mix.

The batter will be thick – pour into the bundt pan and make the filling.

Mix together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg.  Mix well.  Place in a trench on top of the batter and try to scoop the batter around and on top of the cream cheese.  Then take a knife and swirl the cream cheese even more.

Bake for about an hour to an hour and 20 – really depends on the size of you pan and your oven.   You want a toothpick to come out with a few moist crumbs.

Make the glaze by mixing all the ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then boil for about 60 seconds mixing constantly.  Remove from heat.

Once the cake is out of the oven, the recipe instructs you to pour the glaze on top of the cake (while still in the pan).  I struggled with this – and was worried that the cake would get stuck.  So I let the cake cool a bit, then inverted it and poured the glaze on top.  I suppose my cake isn’t as pretty because of it, but it didn’t fall apart.  See what you think and lmk if you have success.

Enjoy-

 

 

 

 

 

apple pan tart (simple)

Soooo easy, so simple, so apple-y, so flakey (the crust) so moist… just scrumptious.  Served this tart the other evening and friends Jason and Trent were ecstatic.  Well, that may be too strong of a word, but for grown men, they were all smiles.  I’m so happy I finally made an apple tart worth posting.  My mom makes a beautifully simple tart but I can’t seem to master it.  I’ve tried various recipes and ideas and although good, not great.  Until this one.   Found this with who else, but Ina Garten…   enjoy this and make this – you will not disappoint.

apple tart (from Ina Garten Food Network):

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water

4 granny smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced small
1/2 cup apricot jelly, or warm, strained apricot jam
2 tablespoons calvados, rum or water

For the crust – place flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine.

Add the cold diced butter and pulse 10-12 times until the butter chunks are about the size of peas.

Get your ice water ready – make sure it is really cold (I make a tall glass of ice water, then measure out the water after it has a chance to really get cold).

With the motor runnIMG_5151ing, add the water and pulse until the dough just starts to come together.  Stop.

Remove from machine and dump onto a floured surface and quickly form into a ball.  Make sure all the flour is incorporated.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then flatten the ball to form a disc shape.  Let sit in fridge for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment.

Roll the dough so that it is slightly larger than a 10×14 rectangle — and transfer to your baking sheet.  To transfer, roll the dough around your pin quickly and unroll on the parchment.

Peel, cut, core and slice your apples.  Cut them in half, through the stem.  Core.  Then slice crosswise in 1/4 inch slices.

Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally across the tart.  And continue on both sides until the dough is covered.  Sprinkle with the full (seems like a lot) 1/2 cup sugar.  Dot the apples with the small bits of butter as shown.

Bake for about 45 m to an hour (mine took an hour) – and rotate the pan at least once during baking.  Heat your jam and spirit (or water) and strain through a small sieve.  Gently brush the glaze over the tart.  Take a large spatula and loosen the tart from the pan.  Some of the sugar may have caramelized and it will stick if not unstuck while warm.

This was delicious warm, room temp and the next few days too.  You can also serve cold if that is what you like

pumpkin pancakes again

Andy is slowly tiring of pancakes and I’m actually excited about it because it is much easier to make a fried egg sandwich in the early AM.  However the other day – he not only asked for pancakes, but pumpkin pancakes.  Because I have many new whole grain books, I decided to try a new recipe just for fun- and it worked out great.  Andy and Sylvie really liked these – and I did too.  Rob as well!  They are not too pumpkiny – but have a glimmer of that flavor and just taste very holiday like with the nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice.  Yum.  Once cooked, you sprinkle a little bit of seasoned sugar on top and it makes the (pan) cake!  Try while you have family home if you feel like it.  This recipe calls for kamut flour which I didn’t have originally so I just used white whole wheat.  It worked.  And the next time I used the kamut flour which was delicious as well.

 pumpkin pancakes adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce):

dry-

1 cup kamut flour (or white whole wheat)
1 cup all purpose flour (or white whole wheat)
or..
use 1 cup white and one cup whole wheat
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice

wet-

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted – cooled slightly
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs

spiced sugar-

1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg (or prepped already)
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Mix all the wet ingredients together.  (First melt butter.)

Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Gently fold the wet into the dry using a light and gentle touch (for fluffier pancakes)

Heat pan and place some butter in it – you can use a little or more for a crisp, buttery edge.

Oh, and add chocolate chips if you have someone like Andy in your life.

Cook on medium until bubbles form, then flip over and cook the other side until dark golden.

Sprinkle a small amount of the spiced sugar on top of the pancakes – and serve with the extra on the table.

Enjoy-

 

 

 

orange poppyseed pound cake

Yummy yum yum!  This was tasty.  Slightly dense, filled with poppy seeds – and covered in a delightful glaze – this was a winner.  Andy ate this up.  Said “I like this!”  And Sylvie kept taking slivers and announcing she was done each time.  I finally said, just take a piece and sit with it and be done!  (That’s what I try try to do.)

This is great for brunch – or for an afternoon snack.  I liked it because I don’t make enough goodies with oranges, so it was nice.  I hope the shelter liked it too!

orange poppyseed pound cake 

I went to write this up and I cannot find the recipe.

Ok, as soon as I find it you will get it asap!  So sorry but figured you will at least remember that I’m here.

 

caramel apple jam

Thanks mom for sending me this recipe!

MMMMmmmm….so delicious and warm and soothing and inviting.  Funny for a “jam” to be all that but it is!  Caramel, vanilla, and apples delightfully and simply combined.  Warm this up and pour over some vanilla ice cream and you have a winner.  Equally good on the savory side if you serve as a sweet side relish for pork or chicken.  Alison Roman, the creator of this apple jam, also suggests ice cream (like me) – but topped with crushed Nilla wafers.  And I say, sounds great, but make home made vanilla wafers (coming next)  and add a little whipped cream.

Use a variety of apples, makes for a more interesting outcome because different apples break down differently and this will provide texture and fun!

apple jam (from Bon Appetite Oct 24th):

Original recipe and write up are here.

1 cup sugar
3 pounds apples, use a variety if you can, peeled, cored and cubed about 3/4 inch thick.
1/2 vanilla bean (scraped)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
cinnamon stick or powder
kosher salt

Place 3 tablespoons water in a large saucepan.  Add the sugar and mix.  Heat on medium high and boil – and continue to cook until the sugar caramelizes.  It will turn a dark amber color – but be careful as it all happens very fast, and it is HOT.  Seriously hot.

Add the apples and the vanilla seeds and bean to the pot and cook on medium heat.  The caramel may seize up at the start (because the apples cool it down) but soon it will dissolve again.  Add a 1/2 cinnamon stick (if you don’t have a stick, wait and add some ground cinnamon to taste at the end.)

Continue to cook for about 20-25 m, stirring occasionally until some of the apples are translucent and some still have their shape, and most of the liquid is dissolved.  You can keep cooking btw, if you like your apples super soft, or remove them earlier if you like them super chunky.

Remove from heat.  Add lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt.  Store in a glass jar or container for up to a month in fridge.

 

chocolate chocolate tea cake (moist and good!)

Yum yum yum – everyone said this is good!  Especially me as I nibbled and nibbled.  So good in my ice cream the other night.  Really good!  This was an especially sweet success after many baking failures this month.  Sylvie said this was the best thing I’ve made in a long while.  (Which was of course good and bad to hear.)   This chocolate cake is light in texture yet very satisfying.  Moist.  Chocolate.  Delicate.  Those are the adjectives that come to mind.  The unmelted chocolate chunks and chips fell to the bottom a bit – creating a chewy chocolatey section on the bottom of the cake.  I LOVE that.  I do.  So does my family.  Enjoy this – I would double the recipe since it freezes so well.  (If you manage not to eat it all!)  This recipe is from my new book Huckleberry.  I really really adore this book.  It is filled with so many fresh takes and beautiful photos.  I’m excited to bake from it again and again.

The recipe includes weighted measurement so if you have a scale, use it.  Much more accurate!

Anyway, enjoy this one.  Perfect for fall.

chocolate tea cake (from Huckleberry by Zoe Nathan):

3/4 cup/100 grams pastry flour
6 tablespoons/45 grams all purpose flour
6 tablespoons/30 grams cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup/120 ml strong brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 cup/120 ml buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups/300 grams coarsely chopped dark chocolate, 60-70 percent cacao
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons/140 g unsalted butter, cubed at room temp
1 cup + 2 tablespoons/225 grams sugar
1/2 teaspoon, plus a dash, kosher salt
3 eggs, room temp
sugar for dusting/powdered sugar for presentation

Pull your eggs, butter, buttermilk to room temp.  Brew coffee.  Place 3/4 cup of the chopped chocolate (reserve a cup)  in a double boiler or in a bowl over barely simmering water to melt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  You can use a 9×5 loaf pan, or divide this into smaller pans and shapes.  And if you double use two pans – or again, a mix of different sizes.  Just adjust baking time accordingly and check often for doneness.  Grease pans and I like to line the bottom with parchment to assure there is no chance of sticking.

Whisk together the pastry flour, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Combine cooled coffee, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.

Beat butter and sugar with paddle attachment on medium high until lighter and fluffy.  4-6 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Scrape bowl down and beat again to combine.

Stop the mixer.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low for a a few seconds.  Add the buttermilk mixture on low, and mix until just combined.

Remove from mixer and finish by folding in the melted chocolate and the chopped chocolate.

Pour into prepped pans.  Do not overstuff pans – (if you double and use various sized pans).

Sprinkle with granulated sugar (this forms a yummy crust.

Bake until cake starts to pull away slightly from pan.  And/or when the top springs back gently if touched.  Or, when a toothpick comes out almost clean.  You really don’t want to over bake this one.

Set your timer for 30 minutes and peek – the 9×4 will likely take 50-60 m – but you really want to learn how to check for doneness without a book telling you the time.  Oven temps vary – outside temp varies – so the more comfy you get checking yourself is best.

If you do over bake – just make teacake parfait with whipped cream and ice cream layers.  Delicious.

 

 

cinnamon apple cake

“This is the best thing you’ve made in a long time mom” Sylvie said last night as she indulged in her second nibble of the evening.  She said she needed more, but we both agreed that the cake would be here today (and it is) and to just stop (which is hard).   Everyone agreed btw, Rob, Jason, Melissa, and Andy and well, Greg isn’t here! 🙁 but I know he would have loved this.   Cinnamon and apples are so welcome at the moment – leaves are turning, the air is cooler, and a good moist flavorful cake is necessary.

I used firm apples from the orchard – but if you don’t have good apples where you are (and I’m sorry for you!) then use Granny Smith since they hold up so well in baked desserts and their tartness is diminished when baking (and sugaring!)

Oh, and I doubled the recipe since I had a good feeling about it.  Glad I did!  It makes one 9×5 loaf or 2 if you double it!

cinnamon apple cake (verrry slightly modified and  from Allrecipes):

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (remember to look at baking tips to perfect your flour measurement)
1 3/4  teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 apples peeled and chopped fairly small
1/3 teaspoon kosher salt

Remember to pull the butter, eggs, and milk to come to room temp.  Peel and chop apples.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 9×5 loaf pan – and/or place parchment on the bottom for easiest release.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.

With the paddle attachment of your electric mixer, beat butter and white sugar until lighter and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Mix thoroughly after each addition.  Add and mix in vanilla extract.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the creamed butter and stir.  Add the milk and fold together until nicely combined.

Scoop half of the batter into the prepped pan.  Add about 1/2 of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture, then about half of the apples, pushing them slightly into the batter.  Follow with remaining batter, apples and finally brown sugar/cinnamon and spread with a pallet knife or back of a spoon.

Place in oven and bake until cake springs back slightly when touched.  When a toothpick comes out JUST clean.  And well, when you think it is done.  Try not to over bake.  If you do, simply serve with ice cream and whipped cream (you should anyway!)

Allrecipes said 30-40 m – but mine took 40-50.  So check yourself.  This is an important skill to figure out.

Let cool in pan, then invert onto rack.  Serve warm, cool, the next day and enjoy –

 

 

 

 

brown sugar french toast

Every now and then a recipe lands on my desk.  Usually a chocolate recipe (often bittersweet – Rob pulls these) but this time it was (surprisingly) a french toast recipe.  Rob likes french toast but lately he is so health oriented that he will usually save his treats for chocolate (hence the chocolate recipes!)  But I think he was thinking of the kids who happen to love french toast.  I make french toast a lot – but I just wing it in the hopes that it turns out ok and it usually does.   But this recipe caught my eye (well, it was smack in the middle of my desk) so I decided to try an actual recipe and one that the author worked so hard to perfect.  Greg was my guinea pig (this was before he went to school, sigh).   And well, the results were great.  Terrific.  Beautiful looking and so tasty.  It’s hard to really screw up french toast – but try this for a change and see.

Enjoy –

brown sugar french toast (from The New York Times Feb 22 issue by Sarah Karnasiewicz):

1 cup milk
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
eight,  3/4 inch thick slices day old white pullman bread (I made this again with challah and also good)
veggie oil
1 lemon
powdered sugar

In a wide shallow bowl, combing the milk, yolks butter brown sugar, salt and vanilla.  Whisk until well blended.

On medium high heat, swirl  just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pans (I like to use 2 pans and do it all at once) – and heat until it begins to shimmer.

Dip each slice into the custard until it is moistened but not soggy.  (About 15 seconds per side).  Place bread slices in the pans and fry until crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.

Divide slices among four plates and top each with a small squeeze of lemon and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Delicious.

peach streusel coffee cake

Deeeelicious!   So good, so summery, so delightful to much on when the sun is out and you know summer is coming!  I’m lucky to have found such good peaches this early – and although Greg really wanted cobbler, I took the easy way out and made an easy cake.  And wow, good decision.  Although cobbler is good too…and now I’m second guessing it all since that would be good with ice cream tonight.  Oh well – back to this cake – it is full of peachy scrumptiousness and a little streusel throughout – you really can’t go wrong.  Moist and wonderful and again, easy.  This is great as an afternoon snack or brunch item.  Place in pretty dessert cups and dress it up for a dinner dessert with whipped cream, and ice cream and maybe creme anglaise or fresh peaches.

Wait to find good peaches because your cake will only be as good as your peaches.

The streusel in this cake might be a mistake on Emily Luchetti’s part in that it is very very wet – and there isn’t a whole lot of it.  But I have to say that I liked it.  A lot of cinnamon and laced throughout – it added another texture and dimension to the cake.

peach cake (from Emily Luchetti):

streusel-

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
6 tablespoons flour
2 pinches kosher salt

cake-

1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 2 cups peaches (peeled then sliced 1/2 inch thick — about 4 peaches)

Preheat oven to 350 and butter a 9×13 glass cake pan.  Pull your eggs and milk.  Prep your peaches.

Streusel – mix together all ingredients and set aside.  Remember my note from above – this seems very wet and dense.

Cake – With the paddle attachment of your mixer, cream the butter and sugar until lighter and fluffy, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again to combine.  Add the eggs, one at a time and then the milk.

Fold in the dry ingredients.

Spread half the batter into the prepped pan.  Top with half the streusel (dot it all over – it won’t seem like enough but there is).  Then cover the batter with your sliced peaches.  Top with remaining batter – again, there won’t be a lot so do your best to cover the peaches.  Then sprinkle remaining streusel.

Bake for about 30 minutes (mine took longer) until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for 10 to 15 m and serve.  This lasted several days on my counter…but don’t cover or it will get very soft and too wet.

Enjoy-

 

 

steel cut oats (the very best) don’t skip

Never ever ate any kind of hot cereal as a child, wanted to like it in my 30’s, enjoyed it in my 40’s but wow…at 47 I have found the exact hot cereal (n my case steel cut oats) that I craved (and didn’t even know I was craving it!)   I didn’t know that oats could be so nuanced with delicious flavors and so toothsome!  Seriously.  These oats are unlike the oats I’ve made for myself (every week) for the past year or so.  I recently bought the book Whole-grain Mornings and Megan Gordon (the author) really opened my eyes.  I looked forward to my morning bowl, but now, I can’t wait.  Please don’t beoats turned off by the tad of butter and the extra step of toasting your oats because it is WELL WORTH IT.  Really.  The result is super scrumptious.  My breakfast feels decadent.  This IMG_7184recipe is enough for 6 days.  Each morning I cut a serving, add a little water and heat – I then add my fruits, nuts or raisins and top it off with a sweetener and then add some cold home-made almond milk (you don’t have to use almond milk) and wow…feels like hmmm….happiness.  A great way to start every day!  My mom loved it too while visiting and I think I may have finally turned her into a breakfast eater.

steel cut oats (from Whole-grain Mornings by Megan Gordon):

1 cup steel cut oats
1-3 teaspoons unsalted butter (I use 2)
3 1/4 cups water
1 cup low fat milk (the recipes calls for whole milk which I bet is delicious, 2% might be a good alternative)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1-3 teaspoons sugar (optional) (I use a sweetener at the time I eat it)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
cinnamon (optional)
brown sugar, honey, syrup, heavy cream, almond milk, milk, raisins, fruits (optional all for serving)
I use almond milk, monk fruit sugar, and sliced bananas and nectarines or berries (in winter diced apples and cinnamon)

In a heavy bottomed skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add the oats and stir and gently toss in the pan until fragrant and darken in color.  See above photo.  This will take 5-6 minutes.

While toasting, bring the water, milk, sugar and salt to a low simmer over medium heat.  Add the oats (be a little careful here since the ingredients all seem to puff up).  Bring to a slow boil, partially cover – and decrease heat to low and cook until it has thickened (25-30m) and the oats have softened.  Stir occasionally while cooking – but especially towards the end so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

The porridge will look loose at the this point – but it will continue to soak up additional liquid so don’t worry.

Add vanilla.  If using raisins – stir in and cover.  Let sit (covered for 5 m).

At this point you can scoop into bowls and serve with all of the above optional ingredients or some of the above.

IMG_7222Since I am the only person eating this in my house, I pour the oatmeal into a container.  Each day I take some (it is kind of a solid mass at this point once refrigerated overnight) and place in a bowl with a little bit of water (to loosen it up).  I heat at a medium power for 3 m in the microwave – and end with a 30 sec full blast heat.  (I like it really really hot).  I add my cut up fruits – lately nectarines and banana, then my monk fruit sugar (a sweetener) and top it off with my cold almond milk and yum.  Seriously yum!!  Yum!  Enjoy –