{things i made} dutch apple pie
It's hard to imagine improving apple pie, but somehow topping the treat with sweet crumbs does just that. It's funny to think that I used to be overwhelmed by the idea of baking a pie from scratch–homemade crust? cutting the fruit to the perfect size? a super-long bake-time?–but to be honest this is now one of the easiest desserts I make. Don't skimp on the spices (I've put in much more than I've written here and the results always have been spectacular). So what's the most difficult thing about this dessert? Deciding whether or not to pair a finished slice with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or both.
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Pastry:
2-2/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canola oil
6 tablespoons skim milk
1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Put the oil in a measuring cup then add the milk without stirring. Pour mixture into the flour and mix briefly. Do not refrigerate.
3. Flatten dough by rolling on floured surface or between two sheets of wax paper (the crust is easily repairable). Place in pan.
Crumb topping:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3-4 tablespoons canola oil
1. Mix oil into dry ingredients until well blended. Set aside.
Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 pound(s) Granny Smith and/or Braeburn apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine sugar with cornstarch and spices. Add apples and lemon juice and toss to coat evenly.
2. Spoon apple mixture into prepared crust. Fold overhang up over the pie-plate's rim and pinch to form a decorative edge. Top evenly with crumb mixture.
3. Bake pie 1 hour 10 minutes or until apples are tender when pierced with knife (to prevent burning, cover pie loosely with tented foil after 40 minutes). Cool pie on rack 3 hours to serve warm, or refrigerate to serve cold later.
{things i made} apple brûlée cake
Apples and baking go hand-in-hand during the fall. This somewhat unique dessert, with its cooked fruit, brandy, and brown sugar is perfect for November. Even though it requires a few steps, the cake is super easy to assemble. The 'brûlée' in its title comes from a delicate layer of brown sugar that caramelizes in the oven during the last few minutes of baking–and is what gives the treat a fun little wow factor.
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3 medium apples- peeled, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
4 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
3 tablespoons brandy, divided (optional)
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1. In a 9-inch round shallow baking dish, combine apples, cranberries, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons of brandy.
2. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until a knife goes through the apples very easily. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 500 degrees.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolk, remaining 3 tablespoons maple syrup, remaining tablespoon of brandy, the cornstarch, vanilla and salt. Set aside.
3. In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Stir one half of the whites into the yolk mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the apples.
4. Place brown sugar in a mesh sieve. Hold the sieve above the egg topping and press the sugar through it to evenly sprinkle it over the topping. Bake in the top third of the oven until browned, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
{things i made} apple spice cake
It's beginning to look–and smell–a lot like Christmas in my house. I love to bake around the holidays and I've kicked off the season by making this cake. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice– I added just about everything that's fragrant and flavorful from my spice rack to the batter. For a fun presentation, cut out a circle of the cake with a cookie cutter or glass. Just be sure to dust the top with powdered sugar and eat all of the scraps.
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Ingredients:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (or regular milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar)
1 cup chopped peeled Braeburn apples
2 tablespoons brandy (optional but recommended)
Cooking spray
powdered sugar
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Combine flour and the next 5 ingredients (flour through nutmeg), stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition. Stir in the apple and brandy. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.
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