Tuesdays With Dorie – Double Apple Bundt Cake

It’s finally Fall!! Really, truly Fall. However, that could be because I’ve been in Pittsburgh for the past week and it hasn’t reached 70 degrees once! I love it! Before we packed up the Yukon and U-Haul for our business trip up North, I sliced this beautiful bundt into 12 little pieces, wrapped ’em in plastic wrap and loaded ’em up for some sweet little road-trip snacks! Perfect once you’re on your 10th (or 21st) hour on the road and ready for a treat! 🙂

The apples, spices and pecans marry together perfectly… just waiting for the cake to scream Autumn. Many thanks to Lynne of Honey Muffin for such a great choice! The recipe is featured on her blog and if you want more Double Apple Bundts, check out the other TWD bakers here!

I think they liked it… especially Dad on the right! 😀

Double Apple Bundt Cake (pgs. 184-185)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – Tarte Fine

Tarte Fine… an apple tart with a pretty French name. However, if we were getting specific, it’d be a Tarte Fine aux Pommes. It leaves the oven looking as beautiful as one you’d find in a Parisian patisserie window, and it tastes as delicious as one, too. I can say that from experience since I’ve been lucky enough to visit The City of Lights. I think the reason I love this one so much is because it’s almost identical to my TWD pick, the Parisian Apple Tartlet. Sweetly brushed with an egg wash, then lovingly sprinkled with cinnamon sugar before popping in the oven, this tarte is incredibly quick & easy… and you know just how much I love those kinds of recipes. 🙂

Thank you to Leslie, of Lethally Delicious, for hosting this week’s choice. Check her blog for the how-to on making this beautiful tarte… and don’t forget the other TWD bakers here!

Tarte Fine (pg. 315)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

Apple Blossom Cake

Those lovely little feelings that Autumn evokes… do you have them? I do. Like this morning, when I opened up the garage to head in to work. The cold snap we had overnight brought overcast skies and a breezy 72 degrees. It was absolutely gorgeous (and such a reprieve from the 105 degrees we’ve endured these past few weeks). Made me want to hop on over to the ‘Bucks for an Iced Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte. But since that debut date hasn’t arrived yet, I settled for a slice of this pretty little cake. With the apples and warm spices, it’ll definitely put you in that Fall ‘frame of mind’. 🙂

Apple Blossom Cake
Adapted from: The Texas Experience

1 c Splenda for Baking
3 c all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tbsp baking soda
1 (21-oz) can apple pie filling
1 c chopped almonds
1-1/2 c canola oil
2 eggs
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Do not use a mixer. A big wooden spoon or silicone spatula works best. Mix all of the above until moistened. Pour into a greased Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes, then remove from pan and rest on a rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

 

Cranberry-Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Streusel Topping

Christmas came early this past weekend, where C & I spent Saturday afternoon opening gifts and catching up over beers and chips & salsa with his dad’s family. C made his famous salsa and I was asked to bake an apple pie and an apple crisp. But, since I didn’t want to bring two plain apple dishes, I decided to mix things up with this yummy Cranberry-Apple Crisp. The filling was a brilliant magenta color and the topping… to. die. for. I’ve got extra cranberries in the fridge waiting to be used for cranberry bread, but now I’m rethinking my plans! 🙂

Cranberry-Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Streusel Topping

Topping:
1 c light brown sugar, packed
1 c old-fashioned oats
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces

Filling:
2 (12 oz) packages fresh cranberries
1-1/4 lbs Golden Delicious apples (about 3 medium), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2″ cubes
3/4 c Splenda for Baking
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Combine brown sugar, oats, flour, salt and spices in a large bowl; toss to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture comes together in moist clumps. Cover; chill while preparing filling (topping can be prepared 1 day ahead; keep chilled).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter 13×9 baking dish. Combine cranberries, apples, Splenda and apple cider vinegar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Boil until cranberries are tender and juices thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer filling to prepared dish. Sprinkle topping over the dish.

Bake crisp until filling bubbles thickly and topping is crisp and a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then serve with ice cream, if desired.

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – ‘All In One’ Holiday Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

This week’s selection is Dorie’s “All-In-One” Holiday Bundt Cake… filled with fresh cranberries, apple chunks, pecans, yummy pumpkin and all kinds of spices. Instead of a bundt, though, I decided to make cupcakes. And to take it over the edge, I used my most favorite Cream Cheese Frosting recipe on top. I just love ‘Pinch My Salt’. She’s got fab recipes and gorgeous photos to boot. The recipe’s at the bottom of this post (and in quite a few others on MBH)… once you visit her, I’m sure you’ll fall in love, too. 😉

These were sooo good and I owe huge thanks to Britin of The Nitty Britty for her choice – check her blog for the recipe and don’t forget about those other TWD’ers here!!

‘All In One’ Holiday Cupcakes (pg. 186-187)
Adapted from: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Cream Cheese Frosting
Source: Pinch My Salt

16 oz cream cheese (2 packages), softened
1/2 c unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/2 c powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).

Recipe Notes: If you prefer a sweeter and/or stiffer frosting, more powdered sugar can be added (up to four cups). But remember, the more sugar you add, the less you’ll be able to taste the tangy cream cheese!

 

Sweet Melissa Sundays – Mom’s Banana Apple Bread

What a great recipe to return home to! This week’s SMS was a yummy banana bread with a twist. ‘Mom’s Banana Apple Bread’ is perfect for welcoming Fall… even if it’s not official until next month! Once I started getting things together, I realized that I was out of cloves. Instead of trekking to the store for one spice, I doubled the cinnamon and nutmeg that was called for in both the apples and the dough. So glad I did, too, because the house smelled amazing!

I missed commenting on last week’s TWD, but rest assured that I’ll make it up this week! Many thanks to the sweet, sweet Joy of Hot Oven, Warm Heart. This recipe’s on her blog and don’t forget to check out the other SMS bakers here!

Mom’s Banana Apple Bread (pg. 14-15)
Source: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy

 

Apple & Cheddar Pupcakes

“Really, Dad??”

With four puppies around the house, I’d always wanted to make dog treats but for some reason, never got around to it. So, when my sis asked if I’d make birthday treats for her dog, Kacy Lynn, I jumped at the chance.

I had run across the book The Dog Ate It, not a week before (on the clearance rack, no less!), so this was the perfect opportunity to try it out. I decided on Apple & Cheddar Pupcakes and made a few changes. The prep and baking took no time at all and before we knew it, there was one pupcake left… even the humans liked them (my sis said they tasted like pancakes)! 🙂

Apple & Cheddar Pupcakes
Adapted from: The Dog Ate It

1-1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c oatmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c plain yogurt
1/2 c water
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
2 large eggs
1 large apple, cored and minced
1 c grated Cheddar cheese

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp plain yogurt
2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour
chopped walnuts, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin tins with 16 paper liners. In a large bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, baking powder and soda. In a medium bowl, blend together the yogurt, water, oil, honey and eggs, then stir in the apple and cheese. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until barely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a pupcake comes out clean. Let the pupcakes cool in the tins on a rack for a few mintues, then remove and set aside to cool completely.

For the frosting, combine the cream cheese, honey and yogurt until smooth. Add just enough flour to thicken the frosting to a good spreading consistency. Frost the cooled pupcakes, the sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Om nom nom.

Dixie wasn’t too thrilled with her hat…

Neither was Rusty Greer…

And Gracie ditched hers long before we could get a shot of it!

Kacy says, “Thanks for coming to my 1st Birthday Pawty!” 🙂

 

Tuesdays With Dorie – Parisian Apple Tartlet

I’ve patiently waited for this day since April ’08… and it’s finally here!! I went back and forth about what to choose from Dorie’s amazing book (seriously, TWD and ‘Baking’ changed my life), and I finally decided on the Parisian Apple Tartlet. Not only is the tart adorable in the picture, but the name reminds me of my last trip to France.

As I sent in my choice, I had reservations about using ready-made pastry, almost as if it was a cop-out recipe… but I eventually realized that if it wasn’t so amazing, Dorie wouldn’t have put it in the book!

So, here it is, my choice for the 75th week of ‘Tuesdays With Dorie’… the Parisian Apple, Plum and Peach Tartlet!! 🙂

Parisian Apple Tartlet (pg. 319)
Source: Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

1 1/8″ thick, 4″ circle cold Puff Pastry (preferably all-butter; see note pg. 315*)
1/2 firm, sweet apple, such as Golden Delicious or Fuji, peeled and cored
Light brown sugar
1 tsp cold butter, cut into 3 pieces
1 tsp cinnamon (my addition)

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and put the pastry circle on the sheet.
Cut the apple half into 4 chunks and center the chunks on the pastry circle. Sprinkle the apple with 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar (and the teaspoon of cinnamon) – depending on how much sweetness you want – and dot with the bits of butter.
Bake the tartlet for about 25 minutes (the time will vary depending on how your apple bakes), until the pastry is deeply browned and puffed up around the apple and the apple can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife.
Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the tartlet cool – it’s great just a little warm and equally good at room temperature.

*Note: Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets are available in every supermarket across the country. However, I can’t encourage you enough to search out an all-butter puff pastry at a local specialty store. If the store doesn’t carry frozen all-butter puff pastry, perhaps it will order it for you. The pastry I buy – which is so good I quit making puff pastry at home – is made by Dufour Pastry.

Serving: You’ve got a choice – you can wrap the tartlet in a piece of waxy paper and eat it standing up, pretending you’re walking the cobblestone streets of Paris, or you can put it on a proper plate with proper cutlery and serve it as an elegant finish to a meal.

Storing: The tartlet should be served soon after it is baked and certainly on the day it is made.

Playing Around: Use this simple construction to make a pear, plum, apricot, peach or even a mango tartlet.

 

Daring Bakers/May ’09 – Apple Strudel

The May Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Several hours, calls, miles driven from store to store, $25 and a new USB cord later… the pictures are finally up! 🙂

Since my dad absolutely loves his apple strudel, I decided to forego savory and take the traditional route. This was so good that Dad almost ate the entire thing!! Thank goodness there’s one more piece left… maybe as a 4 o’clock snack at work tomorrow??

 

Barefoot Bloggers Bonus – Apple Turnovers

Such a simple little recipe! In less than an hour, I had fresh, warm apple turnovers for tonight’s dessert! The only thing I think I’d change would be a little less orange juice/zest. It overpowered the apple taste in the filling quite a bit. Otherwise, these were really tasty! I can already see tomorrow’s breakfast! 🙂

Featured as this week’s Barefoot Bloggers recipe, and chosen by Anne of Anne Strawberry, here’s the Apple Turnover…

Apple Turnovers
Source: Ina Garten

1 tsp grated orange zest
3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1-1/4 lbs tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
3 tbsp dried cherries (omitted)
3 tbsp sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch kosher salt
1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.