Cream and Apple Pie

 

On a rainy evening, this pie was a welcome bit of indulgence. Made with apples picked from our trees several weeks ago, it is a comforting, not-too-sweet dessert that evokes comfort and autumn goodness. 

I adapted it from a recipe by Patricia Wells in her cookbook Bistro Cooking. Her Tarte aux Pommes à la Crème is thinner and I wanted a heartier pie, so I came up with this version. 

For a crust, I used Anna Olson's recipe.

Cream and Apple Pie

1 pastry shell, 9-10 inch, partially baked (I lined my pastry shell with crumpled parchment paper and pie weights - dried beans in this case) and baked it at 375 for 20 minutes, removed the weights and paper, and baked it for another 5 or 10 minutes, just until set, but not browned on the bottom

4 egg yolks

1 cup heavy cream 

6 Tablespoons sugar, divided

1 teaspoon good vanilla

6-7 cooking apples (I used Liberty apples)

Whisk together the egg yolks, cream, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside while you prepare the apples. 

Peel and core the apples, quarter them and cut them into thick slices. Arrange in the par-baked pastry shell. 

Pour the cream mixture over top. It will not cover all of the apples. 

Sprinkle the remaining two tablespoons of sugar over top. 

Bake at 375 degrees until the apples are tender. I baked it for at least 1 1/2 hours, covering the pie with aluminum foil for part of the time so as not to burn the crust. Keep checking for apples all bake at different times. 

Serve warm with a drizzle of caramel sauce. 

Dad's Cookies

 

Purchased cookies were a rarity in our home when I was growing up. My mother would buy a package when we were on vacation - usually a camping trip, and it was often a yellow and red box of Dad's Cookies, a Canadian brand, I believe. 

My dad does like these cookies, basically oatmeal with coconut, and they are easy to make. This is a recipe from my very old Mennonite Treasury of Recipes book, with lots of stains on the pages signifying recipes made many times. I've adapted this recipe somewhat by reducing the sugar. 

Dad's Cookies

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened coconut - I use the medium or fine cut

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

Cream the butter with the sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add the coconut and oats. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir into the other ingredients. 

Form 1-inch balls. Place on baking sheet, then press them with the tines of a fork that has been dipped into flour to prevent sticking. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a rack. 

One-crust Apple Pie

 

Apples picked from our trees in the fall, combined with enough pastry in the freezer for a single-crust inspired me to look for a suitable pie recipe. I found one in the Mennonite Treasury of Recipes, first published in 1962, and a classic in my growing up years. I adapted the recipe slightly and am pleased with the result.

One-crust Apple Pie

1 pastry crust, rolled and placed in a 9 or 10 inch pie plate

Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced to generously fill the pastry shell - I used a combination of Liberty and Akane apples

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the above and pour it over the apples. Dot the apples with

2 Tablespoons of butter in small pieces

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over - about 1 Tablespoon. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40-60 minutes, or more. The original recipe recommended just 30 minutes, but in order for the pastry to cook thoroughly, and for the flour taste to disappear from the brown sugar mixture, it needed much longer. 

Invisible Apple Cake - Gluten Free

 

Our apple trees produced a wealth of fruit this year. We give them away and still have plenty. I've been making all kinds of apple dishes and finding inspiration on the web. One recipe intrigued me - Invisible Apple Cake. It's name apparently comes from the way the apples are said to disappear into the cake, however, I think the cake disappears into the layers of apples. The "cake" is primarily apples, with a bit of batter holding them together.

It's a great way to use up about 6 good-sized apples and tastes wonderful cold or warm. I've been keeping it in the fridge and cutting a slice for breakfast, topped with plain yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

This recipe is my take on a number of recipes I read. It's not too sweet, and can barely be called a "cake", but I quite like it. 

Invisible Apple Cake

First, make the batter. 

2 eggs
2 Tablespoons maple syrup, or honey, or brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a 9-inch springform pan. Lightly grease the edges of the pan and place the parchment paper in the bottom. 

In a large bowl, beat the eggs well, until frothy and light, and add the maple syrup (or other sweetener). Beat again. Mix in the cream and butter, along with the vanilla, and finally, gently mix in the almond flour and baking powder. 

Now, add the apples

6 apples, peeled, cut into quarters, and cored
Slice the apples very thinly and place in the batter as they are cut so they don't brown too much. There will be little batter and a lot of apples. Stir carefully to ensure a bit of batter sticks to each apple slice.

Place them in the prepared pan, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, or top with sliced almonds. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then cover loosely with a sheet of foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until the apples are tender.

Let cool in the pan, then carefully remove. Serve warm or cold, with custard sauce, yogurt, ice cream, or whipped cream. 

Peanut Caramel Dip

A creamy peanut caramel dip complements fall's crisp apples perfectly. I used to make a dip using those individually wrapped caramels. Recently, while laying in bed one morning I wondered why I couldn't make a similar dip using a caramel sauce. So I gave it a try and this is the result. Dark caramelized sugar, cream, vanilla, a bit of butter, and peanut butter. I'm sure that it took less time to make than unwrapping all those caramels.

Peanut Caramel Dip

1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon water
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 Tablespoon butter
3/4 cup peanut butter (I use a natural, no sugar, no additives peanut butter - Adams brand)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the sugar and water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, without stirring, but occasionally picking up the pot and swirling the mixture, until the sugar caramelizes to a deep golden brown. 

Remove from the heat and immediately add the cream. It will bubble like crazy, but stir it in until smooth. Add the butter and stir.

Add the peanut butter and vanilla; stir until well combined. The mixture will thicken a little as it cools and can be reheated gently if it gets too hard. If you find that your mixture is too thin, add more peanut butter. Different brands may produce a different result.

Serve with apple wedges - it would also be good with pineapple, pears, and other firm fruits. 

Bavarian Apple Torte

I posted this over on my main blog, but wanted it here, too, for referencing.


Apple desserts - yum! I first tasted this torte at the home of my cousin Caroline and was happy to see it show up in a family cookbook a few years later. Not overly sweet, but just sweet enough. Apples, cream cheese, cinnamon, and almonds on an easy crust. This really is easier than apple pie. 

Layer One:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Blend in flour to make a soft dough. Spread or press on bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

Layer Two:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Pour onto pastry in pan.

Layer Three:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups peeled, sliced apples (I used three Spartan apples and had just the right amount to fit on the pan - I didn't measure them)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Combine the sugar and cinnamon, add the apples and toss together. Arrange on cream cheese layer and sprinkle almonds on top. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then increase baking temperature to 400 degrees and bake until the apples are tender, about 25 minutes more. If the almonds begin to brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Cool slightly. Remove from pan, loosening edges with a knife first. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Cake

During the summer months I avoid buying apples in favor of all the wonderful soft fruits available. But come fall, it's apple season! This cake is best eaten warm. I like it alone, the apple taste unadulterated. Others like a bit of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream with it. A puddle of crème anglaise wouldn't come amiss either.

One of the best things about this apple cake is how easily it comes together. The apples are not peeled, just thinly sliced. And there are a lot of them in the recipe so the apple-ness is pronounced. Mmm, perfect for autumn.

Apple Cake

4 cups diced unpeeled apples (I cut them into 8ths, then thinly slice them)
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup nuts (walnuts are great, but any nut will do. Or none, as is the case in my household)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda (called for in the original recipe, but I cut it to 1 teaspoon to avoid that metallic taste that can sometimes occur)

Stir together the apples, sugar, oil and nuts. Lightly beat the eggs and combine with the vanilla. Add to the apple mixture. Stir together the dry ingredients, then add them to the apple mixture and stir to combine. There will be a lot of apples and little batter.
Scrape into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, then lower the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes.