I Love, Love And Apples

Apples are so romantic.  There are dozens of myths and lore and superstitions all over the world involving apple, yet I find them romantic because they are candy sweet and common place.  If you have been reading this blog you know I love simple things.  It is the simple and common that can be so extraordinary when it is, what it is.  For example, the satisfaction one experiences when biting into a ripe, beautiful, apple.

Apples are a wonderful dessert.  I wanted to make, a really special dessert without doing anything to our perfect apple.  An apple tart.  It looks incredible, and the apple is truely the star.

Preheat the oven to 400
Peel, core, and thinly slice approximately 3lbs of apples (make sure your apples are ripe and delicious, I like mine slightly tart)
Roll out some of the best tart dough (see previous post).  I rolled mine into a rectangle, but maybe you prefer circles, or maybe even a heart shape?  In any case, transfer the dough to a baking sheet, and put it in the icebox to firm up (10 minutes or so)
Remove from the refrigerator and arrange the apple slices fanned out overlapping each other
Brush the top of the apples with melted butter and lightly dust with sugar.
Bake for 45 minuets.
When the tart comes out it is quite common to brush the apples with an apricot jam glaze, I didnt have any (but if you have an apricot tree, I would be happy to help you use your fruit, let me know!) so I decided to brush the apples with my apple rosemary jelly. 
Simply warm the jam or jelly in a water bath to make it runny enough to brush on.

 

Once cool offer a slice to someone you love (yourself, maybe?).  These are sexy apples.  

LOVE

Let Us Eat Mouth Fulls of Cake

I've long held that I am not much of a baker. Baking is science, where cooking is art. I have thrown together all sorts of powders and goos and liquids and out of the oven came salty cookies, rock hard bread, runny gratin, popovers that didn't pop anywhere... just to name a few. It's the measuring of just the right ingredients that held me up.

I've been persevering though and I've had some successes. The main reasons for my success is I've slowed down and I've had faith in my books. I know if I read the instructions, and take my time following them, something magical happens.
I like sweets. I believe sweets should be beautiful. Receiving them and eating them should be precious, like a little gift. I really romanticize baked goods. Pie fresh from the oven! Scones filling the morning with there salty sweet aroma! Hardly being able to wait until the dish has cooled before you burn your tongue on... whatever it is, it's worth it!

I wanted to make something simple, and suitable for dessert or breakfast. I also didn't want to go to the market (baking usually requires a trip, as we are often fresh out of butter or cocoa or milk). I picked up "How to Be a Domestic Goddess" turned to the index and saw Apple Walnut Cake. Without even flipping to the recipe I had made up my mind, I had apples and I had walnuts, it was settled, my mouth began to water. 
When I turned to the recipe I realized I did not have many of the ingredients needed, and without batting an eye I went to pealing apples. I knew that I could make some very simple substitutions without compromising the integrity of the final product. When did this happen?! When did I learn enough about the ingredients in my pantry to know how to use what, when? And to make a cake! I felt creative, clever, artistic! I have to say I impressed even myself. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I did.

My Apple Walnut Cake
Adapted from Nigella Lawson's "How to Be a Domestic Goddess"
1/2 cup raisins
4 T hot water
4 T port
1/2 plus 2 T canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tea cinnamon
1 1/2 tea baking soda
1 tea baking powder
1/2 tea salt
1 lbs. apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Put raisins in a bowl with port and hot water
Preheat oven to 350
Beat the oil and sugar, add eggs one at a time, beat until mixture looks like mayonnaise. Add the dry ingredients, until combined. Add apples, walnuts, and drained raisins. Put the cake mix (which will be fairly stiff, almost like a cookie dough) into a buttered 8-inch spring-form pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cake stand for 10 minuets, then turn it out and let it cool completely (yeah... good luck).

It turned out delicious! It was nice with a pad of butter fresh from the oven, and the next morning with coffee, or on it's own, by the mouthful as I was passing through the kitchen.

Forbidden Fruit

It is beginning to look like apple season at my dad's house, and I lovingly accepted a large paper bag overflowing last week.
Apples are such simple and delightful fruits. There are over 7,500 varieties know, unfortunately we usually see about 12 at the farmers market, and maybe only four or five at a supermarket. I would love to try an Arkansas Black, with dark red nearly black skin and yellow flesh. Or a Pink Pearl with light green skin and bright pink flesh, what an amazing looking applesauce that would make.
I had so many apples I decided to make applesauce, and one apple crisp, I couldn't resist.

I had never even heard of a food mill until a few years ago, and it is one of my favorite kitchen contraptions. I cut my apples in fours and cook them until soft, scoop them into the food mill, twist, and voila, applesauce. You don't need to core!
I like to add a little cinnamon to my sauce, and I made so much that I added some maple syrup to some, some vanilla to others, and strawberries to more still.
Nick mentioned pork chops might be in our near future.

For the apple crisp I rarely stray far from the tried and true Gunheim recipe.

Although, I may have grated some very sharp cheddar on to the crisp before I put it in the oven.

Unfortunately there was not an after picture, as we ate it all.

Dreaming of pork chops and applesauce.