Spiced Apple Cake

I couldn't resist this delicious recipe from Joy the Baker when considering what to contribute to our church potluck. 

It was perfect. 

Apples. 

Spice. 

and Cake. 

My favorite things. 

And who can resist a pretty bundt cake. 

*Almost* too adorable to eat. 

When I finally got to grab a fork I have to say, I was quite happy with the cake in my mouth.
My only complaint is that it was in the oven probably 6.564 minutes too long.
And that was me taking it out 5 minutes before the time went off.
Other than a slightly overdone edge, the cake was moist and flavorful and oh so cute!

Ingredients

Sauteed Apples

2 tart apples (about 1 pound)

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

Cake

12 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon clove

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sour cream

1/4 cup raw sugar (or granulated if you don’t have raw on hand)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven.  Butter and flour an 8-inch spring form pan (or a lovely bundt pan) and set aside.

To sauté the apples: peel, core and dice the apples into 1/4-inch cubes.  Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until butter beings to bubble.  Add the diced apples and cook for one minute, stirring with a wooden spoon.  Add the sugar and continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Turn the heat to low and cook the apples, uncovered for 4-5 minutes until they are softened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  You’ll only use the sautéed apples for the recipe so you can discard any liquids that may have accumulated.  

To make the cake:  cream the butter, sugar and spices in a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment until light in color and fluffy.  This may take 6 to 8 minutes.  Stop the mixer occasionally, to scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks one at a time and continue beating until fluffy and glossy.  

Measure out the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  With the mixer set on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter.  Mix until no flour streaks remain.  Add the sour cream all at once and incorporate.  Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until no traces remain.  Fold in the cooked apples with a rubber spatula.  The cake batter will be thick.  

Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan and distribute evenly.  Take a knife and run it in a singular circular motion through the batter 1-inch from the edge of the pan.  This will help the cake to rise evenly.  Sprinkle the cake with the raw or granulated sugar and bake for 55-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the spring form pan or turning over the bundt pan onto a wire rack to cool completely. Before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar.  

(Quick and Easy) Ricotta Tomato Penne

 This is an amazingly quick (15 minutes!), surprisingly elegant, and super delicious dish.

I came up with it as a dinner idea in a pinch last week. We didn't have much time but I had some quality ingredients. Sometimes less is more. Nothing fancy. Just pasta. tomatoes. cheese. and of course garlic. It's perfection in a flash! 

Ingredients

Canola or extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, finely diced

1--14 oz can stewed or whole tomatoes

salt

pepper

1 tsp dried basil

1/4-1/2 cup fresh Ricotta cheese 

Directions

Fill a 2 or 3 quart pot with water and heat to boiling. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium low heat. Drizzle with oil. Add onions and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant. Stir in the can of tomatoes. Use a spoon or potato masher to crush tomatoes to your desired consistency for the sauce. Sprinkle in salt and pepper (be generous with both!) and basil. Let simmer for 5-15 minutes. Drop 2-3 cups penne pasta into the boiling water and cook to al dente. Drain and leave in pot. Stir in Ricotta cheese until melted. Serve onto plates and spoon tomato sauce on top.

Ultimate Ginger Cookies

Do NOT attempt to make or eat these cookies if you don't really love ginger. 

Ginger is a strong, pungent root which is unmistakable. 

People either love it or hate it. 

If you're in the latter category, run!

If you're in the former, then hold onto your hats. 

This is like a ginger or molasses cookie on crazy ginger steroids. 

But I love them. 

Kevin could only eat one bite before taking a cookie-snacking-break.

The whole reason I made Brown Eyed Baker recipe to begin with was because my adventurous husband saw the crystallized ginger package in the grocery store. He really wanted to try it. I figured, what's the harm in that? Well, come to find out, crystallized ginger is not at all like the dried mango or pineapple pieces you find in trail mix. This stuff is NOT to be eaten if not incorporated in a recipe. It looks delicious, but it's pretty intense. So tread carefully. And ENJOY! I know I did!

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker and Ina Garten. 

Make 24-30 cookies. 

Ingredients

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoons ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

¼ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

1 egg, at room temperature

1¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces)

Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with two spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1¾-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the baking sheets.

Bake for 10-13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Baked Oatmeal

I spent last weekend at a great women's retreat where they served baked oatmeal for breakfast! My mother in law and I were both pretty excited about the delicious hearty breakfast dish. I found many recipes online, but I used Brown Eyed Bakers for a starting point. I changed almost everything about the recipe to suit my tastes. The biggest alterations I made were eliminating the sugar completely and extending the baking time to get a drier, crisper top layer. But those are my personal tweaks. Optional changes are listed at the bottom of the ingredients. 

This recipe is quick to throw together and it bakes while I'm showering. When I'm ready for breakfast it's ready for me--hot and warm and hearty. The perfect way to start a fall morning!

It's really easy to double or triple this recipe for a larger crowd (using a 9x13 inch pan) or cut it in half for breakfast for 2. And even if you have leftovers, they're yummy reheated the next morning. 

inspired by Brown Eyed Baker and Cooking Light.

Serves 3-4 adults

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1½ cups milk

½ cup applesauce

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg, beaten

Cooking spray

optional: you may choose to add up to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and 1/3 cup raisins to the mixture prior to baking. I found that this is delicious without any sugar at all. And I prefer to sprinkle on raisins after baking.

optionally optional: Next time I shall chop some apples and mix it in with the oatmeal to bake. Yum! You could do this with almost any fruit of your choice. Strawberries, bananas and peaches would be especially perfect.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter, and egg in a separate bowl (when I cut the recipe in half I could fit all of the liquid ingredients in one 2-cup measuring cup). Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20-40 minutes (I know that's quite a gap. The oatmeal is cooked and delicious at 20 minutes, but I would prefer the longer time as I like the top of the oatmeal to be a bit crisp. If you cut the recipe in half, bake for 15-20 minutes.) Serve warm with added brown sugar or raisins and milk if desired.