Apple Cake

Apple Cake

Ingredients

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups butter or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (more if your family enjoys it)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups sliced peeled apples (Granny Smith are our favorites)

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

(NOTE: If you don't enjoy baking from scratch, try using your favorite yellow cake mix with 1 1/2 cups of butter/oil and no water)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and butter. 
2. In separate bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients and briefly mix with whisk or fingers. Then add to wet ingredients (batter will be very thick). Fold in apples and nuts.
3. Pour into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan (bundt pan). Bake at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
4. For a glazed appearance, melt a little butter on the top of the cake to make it shiny.
5. If desired, drizzle a honey glaze or powdered sugar glaze for more sweetness.

Honey Glaze

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup powdered sugar 

2 tablespoons water or milk (add gradually to mixture)

Drizzle atop cake

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Old Fashioned Apple Pie

Old Fashioned Apple Pie

(photos from Jack's kitchen)

To qualify as a great apple pie, the mixture of apples should create a combined sweet-tart flavor balance. Serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream or with a wedge of cheddar cheese.

Quote is from the book "Mad Hungry," by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books).

To view a video with tips for creating delicious apple pies and crusts click here:

Old-Fashioned Apple Pie - Martha Stewart Recipes

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/apple-pie-mad-hungry

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart’s “Old-Fashioned Apple Pie”.

 

2 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 pie crusts

12 apples sliced, peeled, cored (we prefer mixing tart with sweet apples)

3/4 cup sugar, pllus additional for pie top

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1.5 tsp cinnamon (we used 1 tbsp + 1tsp cinnamon)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 large egg, beaten

Directions:

Heat oven to 375F. Create two 1/8-inch thick, 11-inch pie crusts. Press one crust into pie plate. Place the other on waxed paper and cover with plastic wrap. Chill all pastry until firm, about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon zest and juice, spices, and flour. Toss well. Spoon apples into pie pan. Dot with butter, and cover with remaining crust. Cut several steam vents across the top crust. Seal by crimping edges as desired. Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar (or just plain sugar).

Bake until crust is brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Let cool on wire rack before serving.

Pie Crust also from MarthaStewart.com:

2 single 10 inch pie crusts:

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into mall pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water.

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or stick; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tbsp at a time. 
3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Fast and Easy Peanut Butter Pie

A fast and easy recipe for the whole family.

To make it even healthier, try using all natural peanut butter for extra flavor!

Just click on the picture for it to become bigger!

Jack’s Iced Lemon Cookies

Jack’s Iced Lemon Cookies

Ingredients 

COOKIES

• 3 cups unsifted flour (all purpose)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (approx 3 lemons)
• Zest 3 lemons
• Saran Wrap

GLAZE

• 1  c confectioners sugar
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 
• 2 tsp water

Directions 

COOKIES

1. Combine flour, baking powder, zest of 3 lemons, sugar and soda into large bowl and mix.
2. Melt butter. Squeeze lemons.
3. Add butter & lemon juice to dry mixture, placing in mixer until thoroughly blended.
4. Divide dough in half. Place each half on sheet of saran wrap, adding another sheet  on top. Press gently so that the dough is sandwiched between saran wrap, and is slightly flat (about 8” round).
5. Chill dough 1 hour (or longer if more convenient).
6. On floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
7. Cut cookies out using cookie cutters or biscuit cutter.
8. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 9 minutes.

GLAZE

1. Mix sugar and lemon juice together.
2. Gradually add water until obtaining desired thickness.
3. Once cookies have cooled, top with glaze.
4. Let set before eating.

Makes 4 dozen cookies cut 2 to 2 1/2 inches

Peppermint Sugar Cookies - Easy Recipe

This yummy seasonal cookie recipe came from Susan' Daily Dose. How about trying it with your favorite Sugar Cookie mix or recipe? It makes beautiful cookies!

Eggnog Pound Cake

At our annual Cookie Exchange, the Florida Stampers shared several wonderful recipes. Here is one which was a big hit, and enjoyed by everyone!

Kim Davenport’s eggnog pound cake:

Ingredients

1 (16-oz.) package pound cake mix 

1 1/4 cups eggnog

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat all ingredients together at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes. Pour into a lightly greased (Kim used veg spray) 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.

2. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

3. Once completely cool, sift some powered sugar on top.

Kim’s Note:  I would bake for 40 minutes and check.  Insert toothpick and it needs to come out clean.  If needed, bake another 10 minutes and recheck.  Then every 5 minutes...  Do not over cook as the sides will taste burnt even if they don't get real dark.

Super Easy Fruit Cobbler - using fresh or frozen fruit

Featured blueberry cobbler with Greek Yogurt

Cobbler is one of those forgiving desserts because it doesn’t have to come out of the pan perfectly shaped. Normally, it is spoon-served onto a dish or in a bowl.

Toppings consist of whipped cream, ice cream, more fruit, or yogurt. Sometimes, no extra topping is even needed! 

Depending on the items used in your cobbler, it may even be served for breakfast. It's a great way of integrating a serving of fruit into your family's meals.

This recipe is very quick, and quite easy. 

Mix your fruits, or use all the same. Add nuts if your family enjoys them. 

Ever have a few left over apples, berries, peaches, raisins, (and so forth), in your refrigerator or freezer? This is a great way of using them up.

Baking Dish:  Skillet or round cake pan

Bake at  350 degrees F for 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 cup Splenda or Sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit of your choice

Directions:

1. Cut 1/4 stick of butter, place into baking dish and place in preheating oven. 

2. Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a tiny bowl or measuring cup (in microwave if desired).

3. In separate mixing bowl, mix sugar, baking powder, flour, and salt. Stir thoroughly.

4. Add milk and loosely stir.

5. Add remaining 1/4 stick butter to batter, mix, and then add the fruit, mixing completely.

6. Pour batter into the warm skillet/baking round.

7. Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown. The mixture may be very loose in the middle. 

Our sample was made with 2 cups of frozen blueberries and Greek style plain yogurt. Have fun experimenting!

Super Fast, Very Delicious, Fruit Dessert Cobbler

(Note - 2 recipes are on this page. One with cake mix, one without)

Friend Jackie Hall recommended that we use a cake mix for a super quick, great tasting, VERY easy recipe. (And she was right!) This made a fantastic dessert which was gone immediately when friends dropped by. It has wonderful flavor and took 45 minutes from start until pulling out of the oven.

Jackie uses the traditional 1 and 1/2 sticks of yummy butter in her recipe! We opted for something with Omega Three fatty acids instead. Need a delicious, inexpensive dessert in a jiffy? Try adapting Jackie’s recipe with fruit to come up with your own cobbler. Instead of using the butter, we experimented with a ripe banana and Canola oil.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pints of Strawberries (more is better)

Non-Stick Cooking Spray

2 tbsp Canola Oil

1 ripe Banana

1 yellow or butter flavored cake mix

1. Spray baking pan with non-stick cooking oil.

2. Slice berries and place in bottom of pan.

3. Cream Canola Oil and Banana until smooth.

4. Add cake mix, blending until just moist, about 30-60 seconds. It will will resemble thick pie crust dough.

5. Spoon on top of berries.

6. Bake at 325F for 35 minutes or until golden on top.

Serve warm or cool, plain or with yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream.

One medium banana contains 60mg of Omega Three fatty acid, no cholesterol, 1/3 the daily needed Vitamin C, 41% the daily recommended Folate, 15% Magnesium, 23% Potassium and 30% Manganese. There are several other vitamins and minerals present in Bananas. The drawback to using a banana in place of butter is that bananas are high in sugars and carbohydrates.

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The second recipe does not use a cake mix. To be honest, the flavor is not nearly as yummy, but it does not contain all the flavor enhancers and additives, either.

Need a delicious, inexpensive dessert in a jiffy? Try this fruit cobbler recipe. Instead of using the butter, we experimented with a ripe banana and Canola oil. For a sweeter cobbler, we recommend sprinkling sugar or cinnamon sugar on top of the cobbler before it is baked.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pints of Strawberries

Non-Stick Cooking Spray

2 tbsp Canola Oil

1 ripe Banana

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups splenda or sugar

1 tsp natural vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1. Spray baking pan with non-stick cooking oil.

2. Slice berries and place in bottom of pan.

3. Cream Canola Oil, Banana, vanilla, baking powder, salt and sugar in mixer until smooth.

4. Add flour, blending until just moist, about 30-60 seconds. It will will resemble thick pie crust dough.

5. Crumble on top of berries.

6. Bake at 325F for 35 minutes or until golden on top.

Serve warm or cool, plain or with yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream.