Apron Strings to Diamond Rings: apples

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Spiced Apple Bread

This recipe comes from the Joy of Cooking book. I added some spices to give it more depth and I think it turned out great! You can supplement prune, apricot, cranberry and much more in place of apple.

Preheat oven to 350˙
Sift together in a medium bowl 1 1/2 c flour, 1/2 t salt, 1 t baking soda, 1 T cinnamon, 1 1/2 t nutmeg*. Add 1 1/2 c flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl cream 1/4 c shortening/butter/margarine with 1/2 c sugar. Beat in 1 egg. Then add 3/4-1 c of apple sauce/chopped apples/grated apples** and sifted ingredients alternately into the large bowl. Add 1 c buttermilk***. Stir just until everything is blended. Do not over stir. Pour into greased loaf pan and put in the oven for 1 1/4 hours.

*I added the spices tot he recipe. If you would rather just have the apple bread, don't add the spices. When I made it, I didn't measure. This is about what I added. Adjust at the end to your taste before baking.
**When working with the apple, do what you would like. However, from past experience, we once had grated apple in a pie and it was like eating hair. I've never had it in bread, but I would make sure that if you do choose to grate the apple, make sure the pieces are small, like grated cheese, and not long. I used my homemade applesauce recipe without the cinnamon.
***If you don't have buttermilk and don't want to buy any, take 1 cup of milk and add 1 T of vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes.

*©ApronStringstoDiamondRings All Rights Reserved

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Homemade Applesauce

With my Jazz Pandora station playing all the great hits of Michael Buble, Rosemary Clooney and Billie Holiday I got to baking in the kitchen this morning. There are TWO recipes, so far. I began by making homemade Applesauce, a very simple recipe with so many variations, then whipped up a quick Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. These are great recipes for those busy mornings where you have a laundry list of things to do but want something delicious and healthy to snack on later. Each recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, and bakes between 50 minutes and 3 hours. Set the timer on your oven or iPhone and check some things off that list, while the aromas fill the house! Bon Appétit!

Applesauce

This was my Grandma Lucy's recipe that I've adapted a few ways. Take your pick, depending on what kind of time you have!

Crock-Pot:
Peel and chop apples, (as many as you'd like, or will fit into your crock pot), discarding cores. Place in the crock pot on low and allow to bake until extremely soft (2-3 hours). Use a whisk or potato smasher or whatever you have on hand, and smash the apples to the consistency you prefer. Add cinnamon, as much or little as you please, mix. Taste. If you like your applesauce sweet you can add sugar but I strongly advise adding a little at a time and tasting as you go. Once you have the taste you want, allow the applesauce to cook for just a bit longer, 15-30 minutes, until you're completely pleased! Enjoy hot, cold, or warm. Freeze some for later, or serve it all up for lunch or dinner!

Oven:
This is a great one to do with older kids, and younger (if you're careful with what tasks they can do). My grandmother taught me this way, and when I have the time I love doing it.
Heat oven to 350˙. Wash apples and cut in half. Core the centers and make sure the stem is removed. Do NOT peel. Fill an baking sheet (with sides/rim) with the apples flat side down. They can touch, get as many on as you can without overcrowding too much. Drizzle some water over them, about 2-3 Tablespoons. Bake 10 minutes or until the center of the apples are soft. Remove tray, carefully scrape and scoop the apple out of the peel, taking with you the color of the peels (that's why you leave the peel on) and put it in a bowl. Depending on the type of apple you use, your applesauce can end up being a traditional tan color, or end up a pink or even red. It's beautiful to serve. Dispose of the peels, and continue this process of baking the apples, scooping and putting it in the bowl. Some of the apples may take longer, so be patient. When you have all the apples cooked you can either leave it chunky, or put it through a food processor to make it a puree. Add sugar and cinnamon to your liking. Enjoy!

Suggestions for types of apples to use: Gala, Macintosh, Red Delicious, Melrose, Pink Lady (will produce a pink sauce if done in the oven!), Fuji

*©ApronStringstoDiamondRings All Rights Reserved

How I Started Cooking

I am no professional chef, nor have I even taken professional cooking or baking classes. I create my dishes from the heart, reading and researching a combination of recipes, putting that knowledge to use and either developing my own recipe or amending one I have read. My love for working in the kitchen began when I was very little, watching my mom bake and cook. In high school I received the opportunity to take two semesters of cooking classes with a wonderful teacher. She is the woman who taught me how to make chicken broth from scratch, properly measure flour and most importantly, read every recipe at least once through before beginning. This is not to say that my mother didn't have a substantial role in my quest to conquer the kitchen. My mother is the one who let me go wild in the kitchen, throwing random ingredients from the pantry into a bowl just to call it 'peanut butter cookies' because they contained peanut butter. That was when I learned that if it contains flour, it most likely has to be baked. Thanks Mom!