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Classic French Apple Cake

Delicious Apple Cake
This cake is 1/2 apples!
Love this moist apple cake!

Pardon Your French is a food blogger from France who has the most wonderful authentic recipes. This is a favorite!

The baking apples recommended are Jonagold, Braeburn, Matsu, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, Granny Smith

Ribboning the sugar and egg is an important step in this cake. Beat the eggs and sugar 5-10 minutes or until it falls like a ribbon from the raised beaters or whisk and is a light lemony color.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large baking apples or 3 small or a bit more (I used Honey Crisp)
  • 3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons Cognac or dark rum
  • Confectionery Sugar
  • Creme Fraiche

Directions

  1. Prepare an 8-9 inch springform pan by spreading 1/2 or 1 tablespoon butter on sides. Place a circle of parchment paper on bottom of pan. I used a 9 inch springform pan in my photos. Use an 8 inch pan if you’d like a taller cake
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  3. Peel and cut apples into 1/2 inch pieces
  4. Melt butter and cool slightly
  5. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt
  6. In a large bowl beat together eggs and 3/4 cup sugar with electric beater until light yellow and a ribbon texture, 5-10 minutes.
  7. Add vanilla and Cognac or rum. I prefer Cognac
  8. Whisk in by hand 1/2 of flour mixture and then 1/2 of melted butter. Then add remaining flour and then remaining butter.
  9. Fold in apples thoroughly. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth surface. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on top.
  10. Bake 35-45 minutes or until light brown and an inserted knife comes our clean
  11. Cool 15 minutes and carefully remove from pan
  12. When completely cool, dust with confectionery sugar. Serve with creme fraiche
Voila!

Cover cake with a dome like lid or bowl to store. It’s a fragile cake and would stick to any plastic wrapping. If it lasts longer than 1 day, store in the frig

Apple Celery Salad

  
A crisp, quick, sweet, and salty winter salad. Choose your favorite apple variety and serve it fresh. I found the recipe at Food52

  • In a medium bowl combine:

2 cups celery, sliced thin on an angle

1 large sweet apple, cut up into small pieces (like Pink Lady)

3 tablespoons golden raisins (I used dried cherries)

2 tablespoons capers

  • Drizzle in:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • Mix in:

2 tablespoons fresh mint or rosemary, chopped (if it has a strong flavor add less), optional

1/2 cup ricotta salta cheese, crumbled into small chunks

  • Serve right away or within 12 hours before the celery starts to get soggy

Raw Beet Slaw with Fennel, Tart Apple and Parsley

This was beautifully prepared by one of our dinner club friends, Steve Kin, for our get together last night. It’s a Better Homes and Gardens recipe and is sweet, tart and fresh! We all loved it, except the beet-haters 🙂

Raw Beet Slaw

Raw Beet Slaw

Use a mandolin if at all possible. And protect your fingers with the hand guard too.

In a small bowl combine:

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon or orange zest

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium bowl toss together:

2 medium beets, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 fennel bulb, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cored and cut into matchsticks

1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into matchsticks

1 cup firmly packed roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss. Chill up to 8 hours. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Apple-Cranberry Pie

A fabulous Thanksgiving pie from CooksIllustrated.com. It has a similiar sweet sour flavor to a sour cherry pie! I doubled the recipe to make 2 pies. To further accentuate the delicious fruit flavor, I roll my pie dough very thin. I also use fresh cranberries!

Makes one 9-inch pie

Use sweet, crisp apples, such as Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Fuji, or Braeburn. The two fillings can be made ahead, cooled, and stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

 

Ingredients

  • 2cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/4cup orange juice
  • 1cup granulated sugar (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon for top of pie
  • 1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4cup water
  • 1tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 1/2pounds sweet apples (6 to 7 medium), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note above)
  • 1 recipe pie dough (see related recipe)
  • 1 egg white , beaten lightly

Instructions

  1. 1. Bring cranberries, juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing berries against side of pot, until berries have completely broken down and juices have thickened to jamlike consistency (wooden spoon scraped across bottom should leave clear trail that doesn’t fill in), 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in water, and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  2. 2. Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cornstarch in large microwave-safe bowl; add apples and toss to combine. Microwave on high power, stirring with rubber spatula every 3 minutes, until apples are just starting to turn translucent around edges and liquid is thick and glossy, 10 to 14 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
  3. 3. While fillings cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
  4. 4. Transfer cooled cranberry mixture to dough-lined pie plate and spread into even layer. Place apple mixture on top of cranberries, mounding slightly in center; push down any sharp apple edges.
  5. 5. Roll second disk of dough on generously floured work surface (up to 1/4 cup) to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over pie, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side.
  6. 6. Using kitchen shears, cut evenly through both layers of overhanging dough, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie plate. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal. Brush top and edges of pie with egg white and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Using sharp paring knife, cut four 1 1/2-inch slits in top of dough in cross pattern.
  7. 7. Place pie on preheated baking sheet and bake until top is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotate baking sheet, and continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack to cool at least 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.