Tag Archives: apple

Nov 30

Apple and Cranberry Crisp

This past Thursday was Thanksgiving, and I can’t even begin to describe the scene in our kitchen during the hours leading up to the big event. Let’s just say that my wonderful husband cooked up a storm while I baked my tail off to ensure that there’d be enough sweet stuff to go around. Naturally, I overdid it. We both did, to a certain extent – though on the plus side, having a ton of leftovers means I don’t have to cook for the rest of the week. Plus, as nice as it is to have our family over, there’s just something to be said about curling up on your couch in your pajamas and eating leftovers without having to worry about being the host. Yeah, that was us last night.

Anyway, needless to say I’ve got lots of catch-up to do on here, but I’ll start with one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes: apple and cranberry crisp. I’m a big fan of fruit crisps in general, and the apple-cranberry combination is no exception. I love the contrast of the tart cranberries and sweet apples. And when you help yourself to a generous plate of warm, fresh-from-the-oven apple and cranberry crisp and top it with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream, it just doesn’t get better than that.

cranapplecrisp

Apple and Cranberry Crisp

Ingredients:

For the fruit layer:

3 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks
12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons AP four
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice

For the topping:

6 tbsp cold butter, diced
2/3 cup AP flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light brownsugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
  2. To make the fruit layer, simply combine all of the ingredients listed above, mix well, and let sit while you make the topping.
  3. To make the topping, whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, salt, and spices. Use a fork to cut in the butter so that thick crumbs form.
  4. Transfer the fruit layer into the prepared and pan and use your fingers to sprinkle the crumb topping over it. (To make this easier, try spraying your fingers with cooking spray.)
  5. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the top is browned and the edges are bubbling.
  6. Let cool slightly before serving. Topping this dessert with vanilla ice cream is optional, but highly recommended.
Oct 17

Apple Cranberry Walnut Coffee Cake

Okay…there are still apples in my fridge. Lots and lots of apples.

You know what that means: another apple cake, this time with some dried cranberries and walnuts for good measure. This recipe is essentially the same one I used for my last apple cake, only without the brown sugar topping. You can add the topping if you’d like, but I really don’t think this cake needs it.

I’ll stop making apple cakes (at least for a little while) until my supply is depleted. Till then, please bear with me.

applecrancofcak

Apple Cranberry Walnut Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins (not really necessary, but I wanted to use some up)

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. To make the cake, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until well-combined
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla.
  4. Stir in the apples, dried cranberries, walnuts, and raisins (if you’re using them).
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Let the cake cool in its pan completely before serving.
Oct 9

Apple Coffee Cake With Buttery Brown Sugar Topping

I’m impressed. I went apple picking several weeks ago at this point, but my apples still taste fresh and delicious. Storing them in the fridge probably helped, but it just goes to show that getting fruits and veggies right from the source is usually the best way to go.

Even though I was itching to make another cake out of pumpkin, I couldn’t let my seemingly never-ending supply of apples go to waste, and so I whipped up this yummy (and, ahem, incredibly easy) apple coffee cake. I have to say, I just love the way this cake came out. It was nice and moist (thank you, sour cream), and sweet without being too sweet. I was worried that the topping would add too much sugar, but it ended up balancing the cake out nicely.

If you’re looking for a way to use up some extra apples, give this recipe a try. You really won’t be sorry.

applecofcake

Apple Coffee Cake With Buttery Brown Sugar Topping

Recipe from Laura’s Sweet Spot

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup apples, peeled and sliced (I used a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious, and that worked well for this cake)

For the topping:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. To make the cake, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until well-combined
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla.
  4. Fold in the apples.
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
  6. To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter. Use your fingers to work it into a soft crumb mixture.
  7. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Let the cake cool in its pan completely before serving.

Note: The original recipe calls for double the ingredients. You can follow that and just bake your cake in a 9×13 pan. I wanted a slightly smaller cake this time around since it was pretty much only going to be me and my mom eating it, but if you’ve got a crowd to feed, feel free to go for the larger version.

Oct 7

Apple Oat Bars

Clearly I’m not quite done with apples. That’s right: You’ve got another apple recipe coming your way, but I promise it’s a good one.

My latest creation combines rich, hearty oats with fresh, hand-picked apples. And while I tend to incorporate a variety of fall spices whenever I bake with apples, for this recipe, I exercised some restraint and limited myself to cinnamon only. The result? An easy-to-make, easy-to-eat snack cake that’s perfect for breakfast, dessert, or anytime in between.

appleoatbars

Apple Oat Bars

Ingredients:

For the crust and topping:

1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter, melted and cooled to room temp

For the apple filling:

1 cup of apples, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. To make the filling, combine the apples, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir to combine and let sit while you make the crust and topping.
  3. To make the crust and topping, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, oats, and salt. Stir in the butter and mix well to combine.
  4. Press half of the mixture into your prepared pan. Spread the apple mixture on top of the crust, using the back of a spoon to distribute it evenly throughout the pan. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the apple layer, once again using the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly.
  5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top starts to brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Let cool completely in the pan for two hours before slicing and serving.
Oct 4

Apple Pumpkin Cake

For me, September is the time to indulge in everything apple. But come October, I tend to be all about the pumpkin. This year, I decided to make the transition from apple- to pumpkin-centric baking just a bit smoother by using both in a single cake.

This recipe is incredibly easy to whip up, and it produces a cake that’s soft, moist, and full of my favorite fall flavors. You can use canned pumpkin without a problem, but because I happened to go pumpkin picking recently, I chose to cook and puree some fresh pumpkin for my batter.

I’m really excited to start experimenting with some new pumpkin recipes, both sweet and savory. But for now, I’ll most likely be focused on eating this cake for the better part of the week until it’s gone.

pumpkinapplecake

Apple Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups AP flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin (fresh or canned)

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices.
  3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the oil, apples, and pumpkins, and stir together until well-combined.
  4. Pour the apple-pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined.
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The cake should be soft and springy, so try not to overbake.
  6. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before cutting into it.

Notes:
Looking to feed a larger crowd? Just double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan instead.
If you choose to use canned pumpkin for this recipe, make sure to buy regular, unsweetened pumpkin, as opposed to pumpkin pie filling.

Oct 3

Apple Walnut Date Bread

So here we go again…my love affair with apples continues. In fact, I actually went apple picking yet again this past weekend and gathered up a bunch of awesome varieties to add to my collection.

It’s a good thing there are so many great ways to incorporate apples into baking. This time, I decided to whip up some apple walnut date bread. This recipe is actually based on the one I used for the pear bread I recently made (in other words, it’s super easy).

What I like about this bread is that it’s just sweet enough to border on cake, but not too sweet. You can have it for breakfast or serve it as a side dish for dinner, and you won’t go wrong either way. Personally, I could eat this stuff any time of day, but I especially like it alongside a nice cup of coffee.

appledatebread

Apple Walnut Date Bread
Recipe adapted from Bake or Break

Ingredients:

3 cups AP flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups peeled and diced apples
1 cup chopped dates
2 teaspoons vanilla

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a two 9×5 loaf pans.
  2. Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, sugar, apples, dates, walnuts, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture until well-incorporated.
  4. Pour the batter into your prepared pans and bake for 60-65 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Cool completely before cutting and serving.
Oct 2

Caramel Apple Toffee Bars

I just love caramel apples. I don’t have them often, but they’re definitely one of my all-time favorites fall treats. The problem with caramel apples, however, is that every time I eat one, I spend way too much worrying that I’m about to lose a tooth or three just by biting in. That’s why I think these caramel apple toffee bars are such a wonderful idea. They basically offer the same delicious taste of caramel apples without the potential dental repercussions. And while they do lack the crunch and texture that only an actual apple could offer, the toffee bits help make up for that slightly, especially when sprinkled generously on top.

Best of all, these bars are really easy to make, and they taste even better when warmed up and served with a bit of vanilla ice cream. If you’re a fan of caramel apples, be sure to add these to your to-do list.

appletoffeeblond

Caramel Apple Toffee Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups diced and peeled apples
1 cup toffee bits, divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
1 cup caramel sauce (store-bought is fine, or you can make your own by combining about 15 Kraft caramels with two tablespoons of milk and melting in the microwave)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugars and butter. Whisk thoroughly until well-combined.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating or whisking well to combine. Add vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
5. Fold in the flour mixture a little bit at a time until just combined. Stir in apples, caramel sauce, and 3/4 cup toffee bits.
6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of toffee bits on top.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The bars will/should be soft.
8. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely (at least two hours) before slicing and serving.

Sep 16

Apple Spice Bars

Yesterday I went apple picking for the first time this season, and while it was a touch early for some of the varieties I like to have on hand, I managed to stock up on one of my all-time favorites: the McIntosh. There’s just something about McIntosh apples that I really like. I could sit there and munch on them all day, especially if I have a nice jar of peanut butter on hand. But if there’s one thing I absolutely love about McIntosh apples, it’s the fact that they’re the perfect addition to many of my favorite fall baking recipes, including these apple spice bars.

This recipe really embraces all the wonderful flavors of fall. You’ve got cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar combining with fresh, juicy apples to form one of the most perfect concoctions you could ever imagine. If you decide to make them, do yourself a favor and spend some time in your kitchen while these babies are baking up. You’ll be overwhelmed by the warm, comforting aroma of spices as you stand there anticipating how good they’ll taste fresh out of the oven.

Of course, you’ll need to wait a little while to let your bars cool. And you should be warned that once they’re ready, you may have a hard time eating just one. I find that these soft, moist cake bars pair perfectly with a nice warm beverage, be it a strong cup of coffee or a mug of chai or herbal tea. And if you happen to be lucky enough to taste them while they’re still slightly warm, you’ll pretty much be in heaven.

applespicebars

Apple Spice Bars
Recipe very slightly adapted from Beantown Baker

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups diced and peeled McIntosh apples
Brown sugar for topping, optional

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugars and butter. Whisk thoroughly until well-combined. (Note: The original recipe suggests using a stand mixer. I didn’t want to bust mine out, and the power whisk method worked just fine for me.)
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating or whisking well to combine. Add vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
5. Fold in the flour mixture a little at a time until just combined. Stir in apples and mix well.
6. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and sprinkle the top with brown sugar.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The top should be very slightly browned and springy.
8. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely in their pan. Since they’re very soft, I recommend being patient and waiting a good two hours before cutting and serving. However, feel free to keep walking over and smelling them as they cool. It’ll be somewhat torturous, but trust me, the aroma is all part of the experience.

Sep 12

Apple Walnut Coffee Cake a/k/a Apple Disaster Cake

Last week, I discovered why it can sometimes be a problem to bake in somebody else’s kitchen. I was visiting my mom and decided that in honor of September and the fact that she’s awesome, I’d make one of her favorite cakes.

I stumbled upon this recipe several years ago and have been making it every September since then. The cake itself is moist, sweet but not too sweet, and full of so many of the fall flavors I absolutely love. And as an added bonus, when made correctly, it looks absolutely beautiful, especially with the baked apple pieces and walnuts adorning the top.

But as you can see, my most recent version of this cake didn’t turn out quite as lovely. And here’s why: When you use somebody else’s kitchen, you don’t always stop to think about how to handle equipment that’s different than yours. And whereas I have a tube pan that can be easily lifted from the top, my mom’s tube pan is the type where you insert the top into the bottom as sort of a separate, unattached piece.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

No sooner had I assembled a gorgeous, layered version of this fabulous cake when I foolishly decided to grab the tube pan from the top and bring it over to the oven. By doing so, I immediately managed to dislodge the top from the bottom, causing cake batter to spill rapidly out of the bottom of the pan and all over my mom’s countertop.

As you can imagine, I was not happy. But my mom, who’s a much sport than I am about these things, had a great idea: Instead of throwing out the spilled batter (which, by the way, constituted at least half the cake), wasting all those ingredients, and starting over from scratch, why not scoop it up, throw it into a 9×13 pan, and bake it as a non-layered, less pretty apple coffee cake?

The stubborn part of me initially tried to protest. After all, I wanted my cake in its original form, and I wanted to serve it to my mom the way she was used to having it. But not only is my mom a much better sport than I am, she can also be far more practical. And after spending several minutes consoling me (you know, her adult daughter who’s a mama herself and who was basically bordering on crying over spilled batter) and assuring me that this less spectacular version of the cake would no doubt turn out equally delicious, I agreed to proceed with Operation Cake Salvage.

And so we scooped up the spilled batter, dumped everything into a rectangular cake pan, and hoped for the best. And sure enough, the cake tasted incredible—moist, sweet but not too sweet, and full of the fall flavors that make it a winner, even when disaster strikes. And although I still recommend baking it in a tube pan as the original recipe suggests, if you don’t have one, you could always do what I did and make a less pretty but equally yummy version.

disaster

Apple Walnut Coffee Cake
Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
6 apples (the original recipe calls for McIntosh apples; I used Cortland and Gala this time around but have used McIntosh in the past)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube (or 9 x 13 baking) pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

 

 

Sep 9

Apple Pie Cookies

To me, Labor Day marks the official end of summer and beginning of fall. I know the calendar might say otherwise, but there’s just something about the start of September that puts me into a fall state of mind. And the string of cooler weather in New Jersey this past week definitely contributed to that effect. We had several days of what I’d describe as perfect weather—low 70s and sunny during the day, cooler and breezy at night without actually being cold.

Being a lover of all things fall-related, I decided to bake up a batch of one of my favorite cookie recipes. I found this recipe online a long time ago and at this point, I honestly don’t remember where it came from. What I do know, however, is that it works really well with all types of apples. This year, I used a combination of Gala and Granny Smith apples to make my cookies, but in previous years, I’ve used McIntosh, Delicious, and Braeburn apples as well. The key, I think, is to include at least one tart apple (like the Granny Smith) to balance out the sweetness a little.

While these cookies do take a little time to put together, they aren’t overly complicated and are well worth the effort. I love the fact that they come out soft, cakey, and incredibly moist. If you’re a fan of apples, pecans, and fall flavors, you should definitely give this recipe a try.

applepiecookies

Apple Pie Cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter, at room temp
1 and ½ cups brown sugar (I like to use half dark brown and half light brown)
2 large eggs
4 tbsp maple syrup (though I prefer to stick to the quality stuff, you could use your basic pancake syrup in a pinch)
2 and ½ cups fresh apples, peeled and diced
1 and ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper (this recipe yields anywhere from four to six dozen cookies depending on how big you make them, so plan accordingly).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
In a large bowl (I use a stand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then blend in the maple syrup.
3. Gradually blend in the flour mixture at a low speed. Once incorporated, stir in the apples and toasted pecans by hand.
4. Drop by ¼ spoonfuls (or your desired size) onto your prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

When stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these can last up to a week.