THE BEST APPLE BREAD! Apple Measurement.

GREETINGS FRIENDS!

A delightful gift from a talented friend.

 Before I get into the details for the Best Apple Bread... EVER!!!, I have a little tip for those of you who cook with apples and have difficulty with certain recipes that call for using a specific number of apples.  You know what I mean.  When a recipe calls for, for example, three apples, precisely what does that mean when you are using apples from the tree in your back yard.  They may be little apples, or bruised apples, or .... simply not the big, beautiful apples we see in stores.  The apples that I use are "organic" which means that there is a lot of waste.  So, when a recipe calls for "three apples" I have no idea what is meant.  Well, here's the answer...

As a general rule, 1 pound of apples is equal to 4 small apples, or 3 medium apples, or 2 large apples.  And, 1 pound of apples is equal to 3 cups of prepared apples (peeled, cored and diced).

I hope this makes it easier for you to bake using apples.

Now, on to The Best Apple Bread!

APPLE BREAD.  Makes 2 large loaves.
*  4 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped
*  4 large eggs, beaten
*  1 cup vegetable oil
*  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*  2 teaspoons baking soda
*  2 teaspoons salt
*  2 teaspoons cinnamon
*  3 cups all-purpose flour
*  2 cups granulated white sugar

Streusel Topping.
*  3/4 cup all-purpose flour
*  1/4 cup granulated white sugar
*  2 teaspoons cinnamon
*  1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick)

Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease two standard bread loaf pans and set aside.  Peel, core and slice the apples.  Cut into good-sized chunks, about 1 inch in size.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add the oil and beat until combined.  Add the vanilla, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Beat until thoroughly mixed.  Add the flour and sugar and mix on low just to blend.  Turn the mixer to high and beat until mixture is smooth.  The batter will be very thick.  Fold in the chopped apples, being careful to not break them.  Divide the mixture between the two pans.  To prepare the topping, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Cut the butter into the mixture until all ingredients are moist and crumbly.  Sprinkle equal amounts of topping on each loaf.  Bake for about 1 hour on the center rack of the oven.  The loaf should feel fairly firm when touched in the middle; if not, bake an extra 5 minutes.  Remove pans from the oven and cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes.  Finally, remove the bread from the pans and completely cool.  

Pans greased and ready to go!

Folding apple chunks into the batter.

Making the streusel topping.

Ready to go into the oven.

The final result is a very dense, deeply flavorful apple bread.  Store in the refrigerator, cut a slice, and heat it a few seconds in the microwave oven to bring out the flavors.  You won't even need butter!!

DELICIOUS APPLE TORTE

Like most people, I cook most days and, yet, I don't post to my blog very often.  Why?  I prefer to only post recipes that I find to be exceptional, tried and true.  While I love our day-to-day meals, I'm not sure my readers, you, have interest.  You also want something special!  Am I right?

Which brings me to this Torta di mele (Apple Torte).  So easy, so delicious, so versatile.  I don't know where I got this recipe, but it notes:  "For a real treat, serve the torta with a glass of vin santo."  I can see that.  Vin Santo is a delightful Italian dessert wine.  Typically (but not necessarily) somewhat sweet, in a small glass it would be the perfect accompaniment.  

Torta di mele (Apple Torte).  Serves 8-12
*  2 large eggs
*  1/2 cup sugar (split)
* 1-1/2 cups unsifted cake flour
*  2 teaspoons baking powder
*  1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
*  2/3 cup low-fat milk
*  4-5 cups apples (I used a mix of apples but would recommend Granny Smith or similar)
*  1 tablespoon melted butter
*  Cinnamon 
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Lightly oil a 10-inch springform pan or coat it with nonstick cooking spray.  Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess.  If your pan tends to leak, wrap the outside with aluminum foil.  Set aside.

In a large bowl beat eggs with a wire whisk; mix in 1/4 cup of the sugar.  Beat well.  Whisk in flour, baking powder and lemon zest.  Slowly whisk in milk.  Let rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter the apples, then cut into thin slices.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Pile in the apple slices, pressing down to make them all fit.  Drizzle the top with butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar mixed with cinnamon to your taste.  

Bake for 45 minutes, until firm to the touch.  Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan and release the sides.  Place the torte on a platter, rearranging any bits of apple that have gone astray.  

Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.  Other ideas might be to lightly drizzle with caramel sauce.  

The batter is quite thin.

Right out of the oven.  The foil around the springform pan alleviates any potential leaks.

If you like raisins, they could be added to this recipe, yielding a somewhat sweeter cake.  The original recipe didn't call for cinnamon at all; it suggested dusting with powdered sugar just before serving.  Whatever you do, I think you'll like this easy recipe.

APPLE-PECAN CAKE

Time to use up some apples!  Our apple trees had a good year and I want to be baking every day!  The only trouble is that I am the one in this household who eats the sweets.  Oh well... this is a task that I can handle!

I am always looking for relatively simple recipes that use up a lot of apples at one time.  The recipe I made today fits both those requirements.

APPLE-PECAN CAKE
*  3 large eggs
*  2 cups sugar
*  1 cup oil (I used olive oil.)
*  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*  2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
*  1 teaspoon baking soda
*  1 teaspoon salt
*  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*  1 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
*  4 cups peeled and chopped apple
*  1 cup chopped pecans
Beat the eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale.  Gradually add sugar, beating until blended.  Add oil and vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.  Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to beaten mixture, stirring until blended.  Stir in apple and pecans.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube or bundt pan.  Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.  

Source:  Southern Living 1992.

Just a little mess!

Ready to go in the oven.

A long baking time - 1-3/4 hours!

Cooling on a wire rack.

A simple dusting with powdered sugar.

As soon as the cake was cool enough to eat, I had my first piece.  Conclusion... very good BUT it will be even better with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.  Next time....

CIDER CITRUS SPARKLE PUNCH

Here is a really easy, yet very good, non-alcoholic party beverage.  I have had it many times and most recently served it at our cooking club holiday luncheon.

CIDER CITRUS SPARKLE PUNCH.  Makes 24 (4 oz.) servings.
*  2 quarts (8 cups) apple cider, chilled
*  6 oz. can lemonade concentrate, thawed
*  28 oz. bottle ginger ale, chilled
Ice cubes or mold.
     In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine cider and lemonade concentrate.  Add ginger ale and ice; stir to blend.  If desired, garnish with apple or lemon slices.

How easy is that?!?

P.S.  It is now December 26 and I've been going through some of my holiday cookbooks to put together a brunch menu and to find an appetizer recipe for New Years Eve.  In that process, I came across the recipe above for Cider Citrus Sparkle Punch and can now give you the source:  Pillsbury Classics No. 13, "Festive Holiday Recipes."   Thanks, Pillsbury, for a great recipe!!

APPLE PUDDING CAKE.

This was a great year for our apples.  In the Spring we had a late frost that killed off many of the buds on the trees, leaving far fewer than usual.  That resulted in fewer, but bigger, apples.  I've made the usual applesauce and a variety of apple desserts, but this recipe for a fruity, crusty and gooey cake was the best of the season.  Sorry that I have no pictures... The cake was gone in a flash!

APPLE PUDDING CAKE.  Serves 10+
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1-1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups flour
6 cups peeled and chopped apples
Sauce Mixture:
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream (for whipped cream topping)
     Preheat the oven to 325º.  Grease a 9"x13" pan.
     In a frying pan over low-medium heat, toast the pecans until they begin to color and become fragrant, about 7 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
     In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and granulated sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.  Sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour, and beat into the sugar mixture.
     Fold in the chopped apples and the nuts.  The mixture will be stiff.
     In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar and the 2 tablespoons of flour.  Add the butter, vanilla and water, stir, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Boil gently for 3 minutes, stirring often.
     Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan.  Pour the hot sauce evenly over the batter.  Do not stir.  Bake 1 hour.
     Make whipped cream to use as topping.

A JULIA CHILD MEAL

It was my turn to "host" our cooking club so I pulled out my Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and selected a menu of recipes.  Here was the menu:

*  Algo Bouido (Garlic Soup)
*  Bouchees Parmentier au Fromage (Potato Cheese Sticks)
*  Celery Root Remoulade
*  Gratin Aux Fruits de Mer (Gratin of Seafood)
*  Epinards A La Basquaise (Gratin of Spinach and Potatoes)
*  Carottes Glacees (Glazed Carrots)
*  Clafouti (Fruit Flan)

On Thursday, everyone arrived for our lunch with their dish.

 Garlic Soup with Potato Cheese Sticks.

Celery Root Remoulade.

 Glazed Carrots.

 Gratin of Spinach and Potatoes.

 Gratin of Seafood.

Apple Clafouti.

As we know, Julia Child spent years perfecting her recipes for American cooks.  Despite her best efforts, some of us found it necessary to tweak the recipes to achieve a better outcome.    All in all, this was a delicious meal!  Thank you, Julia!

If you want any of the recipes, please send an email request to me at:   www.foodie-bee@mail.com

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY - JULIA CHILD. CLAFOUTI.

Perhaps the most celebrated chef of our time is Julia Child who passed away August 13, 2004, two days shy of her 92nd birthday.  Had she lived, today she would be celebrating her 100th birthday.  Read a short bio of Julia at:  http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767
See also a fun PBS video at:  http://video.pbs.org/video/2267156929

In her honor, today I am posting a recipe for Clafoutis, a French fruit flan.  The recipe comes from her preeminent book:

Quoting from the book:  "The clafouti which is traditional in the Limousin during the cherry season is peasant cooking for family meals, and about as simple a dessert to make as you can imagine:  a pancake batter poured over fruit in a fireproof dish, then baked in the oven.  It looks like a tart, and is usually eaten warm."

CLAFOUTI.  Serves 6 to 8.
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place the following ingredients in your blender jar in the order in which they are listed.  Cover and blend at top speed for 1 minute.
1-1/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour

Pour a 1/4 inch layer of batter in a 7-8 cup lightly buttered baking dish or pie plate about 1-1/2 inches deep. Set over a moderate heat for a minute or two until a film of batter has set in the bottom of the dish.  Remove from heat.

On top of the batter spread:
3 cups pitted black cherries [Other fruits can be substituted.]
Then:
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Pour on the rest of the batter and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.  Place in middle position of preheated oven and bake for an hour.  The clafouti is done when it has puffed and browned, and a needle or knife plunged into its center comes out clean.  Sprinkle top of clafouti with powdered sugar just before bringing it to the table.  (The clafouti need not be served hot, but should still be warm.  It will sink down slightly as it cools.)

SHOPPER'S GUIDE TO PESTICIDES IN PRODUCE

We all like to save money but when it comes to health, I'm as careful as possible with what I consume.  The following popular fresh fruits and vegetables are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides, and are best if organic:

*  Bell Peppers
*  Celery
*  Cherries
*  Grapes (imported)
*  Nectarines
*  Peaches
*  Pears
*  Potatoes
*  Red Raspberries
*  Spinach
*  Strawberries

The following list contains fruits and vegetables that have the least amount of pesticides:

*  Asparagus
*  Avocados
*  Bananas
*  Broccoli
*  Cauliflower
*  Sweet Corn
*  Kiwi
*  Mangos
*  Onions
*  Papaya
*  Pineapples
*  Sweet Peas

APPLE-SCOTCH COOKIES & APPLE TORTE

The apple harvest is coming to an end and I can't let the season go by without posting a couple of the apple recipes I've made in the past couple weeks.  Both recipes are very easy, yet special in their own ways.

Apple-Scotch Cookies
These cookies are very light and cake-like.  They are amazing immediately out of the oven!
*  2 cups all-purpose flour
*  2 teaspoons baking soda
*  1 teaspoon cinnamon
*  3/4 teaspoon salt
*  1-1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
*  3/4 cup butter, softened
*  2 eggs
*  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*  2 cups (12 oz.) butterscotch chips
*  2 cups finely chopped apple
*  1 cup quick oats, uncooked
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  In a small bowl, combine flour, soda, cinnamon & salt.  In a large bowl, combine brown sugar and butter; beat until fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in butterscotch chips, apple and oats.  Using a rounded tablespoon for each cookie, drop dough onto lightly greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350º about 10-12 minutes.  Cool 1 minute; remove to wire racks.  Cool completely.  Makes about 4 dozen (net, after eating a few of the cookies fresh from the oven!).

Apple Torte
This recipe for Apple Torte is delicious, easy and special enough to serve for guests.  I've made it a number of times and it always comes out perfectly.
Crust:
*  1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
*  1/3 cup sugar
*  1 teaspoon vanilla
*  1 cup flour
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla; blend in flour.  Spread mixture over bottom and 1/1/2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Filling:
*  8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
*  1/4 cup sugar
*  1 egg, at room temperature
*  1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cream cheese and sugar; blend in the egg and vanilla.  Spread mixture evenly over the crust.
Topping:
*  1/3 cup sugar
*  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
*  4 cups peeled, thinly sliced apples (Granny Smiths/Heraldsons are great)
*  1/4 cup sliced almonds
Combine sugar and cinnamon; toss apples in the mixture.  Spread over the cheese layer.  Sprinkle almonds on top.

Preheat oven to 450º.  Bake 10 minutes (watch carefully so almonds don't get too toasted).  Reduce oven temperature to 400º; bake 25 minutes longer.  Loosen from pan rim and cool before removing from the pan.  When fully cooled, or just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

APPLESAUCE

I have my work cut out for me today:  Using up all of our remaining apples.  That means APPLESAUCE!   A great way to use up a lot of apples!

This isn't really a recipe as much as it is a procedure.

Peel, core and cut out all blemishes from apples. Dice into pieces of about 1" and put in your cooking pot. As you work, sprinkle lemon juice over the apples from time to time, and mix. When the pot is full of apples, add enough water (or apple cider) to the pot to just cover the bottom. Cover pot and cook at medium heat until the apples are completely softened. Add to the pot per your own preferences: butter, brown sugar, sugar, maple syrup, artificial sweetener, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, garam masala, lemon peel, brandy, calvados, and any other thing you have on hand that you personally want to try. Start by adding small amounts. Blend with a stick blender; then add additional ingredients to please your taste buds.

APPLES! LOTS OF APPLES! APPLE SCONES.

When we bought our home five years ago we inherited a small apple orchard (plus a pear tree and fruiting crab apple trees).  I wish I knew what varieties of apples are here but it seems each tree is different.  In all events, the mix works well in baking.  With so many trees, and only Kevin and I to eat the apples, we don't treat them; instead we simply cut out the bad sections and use the rest.  I guess it sounds better to say that these are "organic" apples.

As you can imagine, at this time of year we eat apples every day - in one form or another - pork and apples, apple cakes and pies, and so on.  I love scones (homemade, fresh - not the kind in coffeeshops) so I went on-line to find a recipe for apple scones.  Finding no recipes that were highly rated, I decided to make up my own recipe.  Well, the scones turned out fabulously so I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

APPLE SCONES.  Makes 6.
In a small mixing bowl combine:
* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
Whisk the dry ingredients, then add:
* 5 tablespoons butter (cut into pieces)
* 5 tablespoons sugar
Using a pastry tool (see photo below) mix all ingredients until the butter pieces are about the size of peas.  Make a small "well" in the center, then add:
* 3/4 cup chopped apples (small chop, to the size of raisins)
* 1/2 cup of milk
Stir all together, then use hands to mix and incorporate all of the dry ingredients.  Your warm hands will warm the butter and help add moisture to the dough.  Continue until all ingredients are mixed together into a single ball.  Remove the dough to a silpat-lined baking sheet, and pat it out to a round circle about 3/4" thick.  Sprinkle with Turbinado sugar.  Cut into six pie-shaped pieces and pull apart. 
     At this point heat your oven to 400º and let the scones rest while the oven preheats, about 10-15 minutes.  Then bake until lightly golden on top, about 15 minutes.

     This picture says it all, including telling you how many I had for breakfast.  I'm BAD!