Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp

This is the "Scheduled For Thanksgiving Day But Turned Out To Be A Post-Thanksgiving Apple Crisp."

I planned to make this at my parent's house on Thanksgiving Day. After cooking the turkey, I planned to place a fresh apple crisp in the oven and the whole house will begin to smell of apples, cinnamon and sugar. Cue the Hallmark Channel-like food memories. But I was 3/4 of the way to my parent's house and realized I left the topping I made in advance in the freezer.

(Don't worry, I did remember to bring a beautiful Kings Hawaiian Paradise Cake to Thanksgiving so we were fine!)

Thus, this became a Monday Morning Meeting Apple Crisp!

I used Martha Stewart Living's Apple Crisp recipe. I wanted one with oatmeal (you know, so we can pretend it doesn't have a stick of butter..."Hey, it has Apples and Oatmeal! Can't be that bad....")

If you can remember to bring the supplies, this is a easy recipe to bake during a dinner party! The house will smell awesome. You can bring a bag of apples, peel and chop them on your host's kitchen, toss with some cinnamon sugar, and top with your pre-made oatmeal and butter topping.

I brought this to the meeting yesterday, and six of us ate 90% of it in one hour. Luckily, Thanksgiving eating has expanded our tummies! :)

It's very versatile...next time, I think I'll use a mixture of apples and pears...and maybe toss in a few cranberries!

Recipe: Apple Crisp
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Topping:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, diced into cubes
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal (not quick cooking)

Apple Filling:
3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make the Topping: In a large bowl mix together flour, sugars, and salt. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers until the mixture has pea-sized butter pieces. Add the oatmeal to the bowl and use your hands to squeeze the mixture together until large moist chunks form. Place the topping in the freezer to chill while you prepare the filling.
3, Make the Apple Filling: Peel, core and cut apples into chunks. Place in a large bowl and toss with lemon, cinnamon, and sugar.
4, Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Place the apple mixture in the baking dish (including any juices) and top with the oatmeal topping. It's best to place the baking dish on a parchment lined baking sheet in case juices overflow. Bake until the top is golden brown and you can see apple juices bubbling underneath. Depending on the size of your pan, this could be from 50-65 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving so the juices have a chance to firm up. Serve by itself or with whipped cream or ice cream. It's great served warm from the oven or microwaved it a bit before serving.

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 15

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt 

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 15

Happy National Bundt Day! November 15th is one of my favorite days of the year! :) I don't know who made up this silly food holiday, but I'm glad they did.

I hope you make a Bundt to celebrate the inverted, curvy cake! If you do celebrate today, let me know by filling out this ONLINE FORM and submitting a photo - I'm going to do a round-up of yummy cakes. (You don't need a blog to join in). If you want, I'll send you some food gift tags that you can put on a slice of Bundt cake that you give to friends and family. (Don't have a photo of these yet, because I haven't made them yet ;) If you live in the US, you'll be entered in a raffle for a cool Jubilee Bundt pan too! Notes: Bundts need to be made within the last 30 days, and deadline to enter is Nov 23, 2013. This is not sponsored - I'm paying for this.

This is the Julibee Pan you could win if you bake for National Bundt Day! 

I make this cake All. The. Time.
Really.
If you invite me to a meeting next week, I'm likely to show up with this Bundt.
You just got home with a new baby? This Bundt might show up on your doorstep.

And you should make it too! Each year I have profiled this Bundt because it's my go-to Bundt and so versatile - I've made cupcakes with the recipe too.

You don't need a mixer and it all comes together in a flash. If you want to celebrate National Bundt Day today and can't decide from the 100 plus recipes I've made in the past... then pick this Bundt. You probably have many of the ingredients in your house. And if you don't have buttermilk, just make it with some milk and vinegar.

This cake is moist and delicious. It keeps for a few days too...if you don't eat it first!

See this earlier post for step-by-step instructions with photos!

Thank you sooooo much for following along on my crazy adventure (I'm not the crazy cat lady, I'm just the crazy Bundt lady). Although it was the "light" edition with only 15 days of bundts this year, I'm going to take a breather and rest for a bit... Happy Bundt Day to you and yours! - mary the food librarian

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 c plus 1 T (or 5 T) cocoa (I have used both Dutch processed and natural cocoa with fine results). I used 30 grams of Hershey's Cocoa.

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
2 cups (400 grams) sugar
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 c buttermilk
1 t baking soda

2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Instructions:
Prepare 10-cup or 12-cup Bundt pan (I prefer to use Pam with Flour or Bakers Joy but you can also butter and flour the pan). Preheat oven to 375 degree.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together: flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon
2. Bring to a boil in a pot: Water, oil, butter and cocoa. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat.
3. Add the chocolate mixture to the flour and whisk by hand until combined.
4. Add the buttermilk and baking soda and mix.
5. In a small bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla. Add to the batter and combine.
6. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes (depending on your oven and pan), until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let sit on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto wire rack and let cool completely.
9. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.

I Like Big Bundts 2013
Day 15: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt (this post)
Day 14: Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Bundt
Day 13: Fresh Ginger & Molasses Bundt
Day 12: Matcha Green Tea Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 11: Triple Chocolate Bundt
Day 10: Biscoff Speculoos Cookie Butter Bundt
Day 9: Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache
Day 7: Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Williams Sonoma Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake

Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake

This weekend, I got to see my friend Helen three days in a row! Friday night for the movie Five Year Engagement - it was funny and cute! Saturday night for the awesome Dodger's Game versus the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers came from behind in the 9th and then Matt Kemp's homer in the 10th inning won the game. Hella screams and shouts! Our seats were awesomeness - check these out! And on Sunday Helen hosted a brunch at her house!

I borrowed the book, Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch from the library and made this lovely coffee cake. The cake has a layer of cinnamon-walnut-sugar (hence the name of the cake!)

You know I'm totally into the Bundt cake, but sometimes you need a Tube pan (which is NOT a Bundt) to make cakes with a topping.

This cake is made with cake flour, sour cream and oil. The crumb is pretty soft. Don't you just love Helen's oil cloth tablecloth? She's ready for summer entertaining.

Helen made some delicious potatoes. I had, um, perhaps three servings. Small servings...over and over.

Marie made a great fruit and yogurt parfait. Lots of fresh fruit! Yummmmmmy! Kathryn made fluffy dill eggs and Christine brought mimosas!

Williams Sonoma Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake
For the filling and topping:
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the cake:
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola or corn oil (I used Wesson's vegetable oil)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Oil a 9 1/2- or 10-inch tube pan with sides at least 3 3/4 inches high. Prep the pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour or oil the bottom of the pan.

Filling and topping: In a bowl, stir together the walnuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Cake: In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In an electric mixer with paddle, combine the eggs and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly (very slowly) add the oil and vanilla and beat on low speed. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Mix in the sour cream just until no white streaks remain.

Pour about two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top. Set aside 1/4 cup of the walnut-cinnamon mixture to use as a topping. Sprinkle the remaining mixture evenly over the batter. Insert a small knife about halfway into the batter and gently move it through the walnut-cinnamon filling to create a swirled effect. Pour the remaining batter evenly over the filling and smooth the top with the spatula. The batter will not cover the filling completely. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved topping.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. (My cake took about 63 minutes to bake). Transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides and center tube of the pan to loosen the cake sides. Invert to remove and reinvert so it cools on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).

I didn't make the caramel sauce, nor top it with powdered sugar. Here is the caramel glaze recipe on the Williams Sonoma site.

Recipe:
Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch, by Georgeanne Brennan, Elinor Klivans, Jordan Mackay and Charles Pierce
Find it on Amazon here or in your library via WorldCat

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt - Day #23 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #23

It's Day #23 of I Like Big Bundts...bringing you 30 bundts in 30 days! I allow myself a few repeats each year and today it's my favorite and easiest bundt - the Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt!

 

Bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th! Then submit a photo or blog post by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a 1 1/4" button for baking along with me! The submission info can be found here!


I got my delivery of JustJENN Designs buttons in the mail! So excited. You can see that they are small enough to fit in a Tablespoon! :)


This cake is mega moist and delicious! You don't need a KitchenAid or anything fancy. I have step-by-step photos here. You can use Hershey's chocolate or Dutch processed. Totally easy peasy. And don't you need easy peasy these days?! I think so!


Thanks for visiting! See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt
Day #15: Buried Alive Bundt Cake
Day #16: Leftover Halloween Candy Bundt
Day #17: Lemon Bundt Cake
Day #18: Ultimate Streusel Bundt Cake
Day #19: Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Strawberries
Day #20: Chocolate & Zucchini Bundt
Day #21: Rice Krispies Bundt
Day #22: Tomato Soup Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe (for a full size recipe)
I baked half a recipe in a 6-cup bundt, and the full recipe is for a 10-cup or 12-cup bundt pan.

Bundt Pan option: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan
Bundt Pan option: Smaller 6-cup Bundt Pan (the traditional bundt pan is 12-cups)

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt - Day #30 of I Like Big Bundts

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt

Pull the yellow tape across the kitchen.
I'm crossing the finish line!
Happy National Bundt Day to you! Whoo Hoo!

If this bundt looks familiar, that's because it's my favorite! It was also the Day #30 Bundt last year. You just can't improve on this champion Bundt. This bundt is super easy (no KitchenAid needed) and bakes up in about 30 minutes. It's moist and delicious. If I was coming over to your house, I'd bring this Bundt. It rocks!

It's Day #30 of I Like Big Bundts 2. Whew! I made it! I can't believe I've made over 70 Bundts on this blog!

Thanks everyone for your comments, encouragement, and fun tweets. And big thanks to Jessica and Susan who guest posted during my wedding dessert bar madness!

The best part? Seeing all your Bundts today! I can't wait!!! As I'm writing this last post, I've been getting emails from Australia, Canada and India about Bundt cakes! How totally awesome is that?!

I started this blog as a personal record of me learning to bake (with lots of failures), and it is surreal and wild to think that people are making Bundts around the world! Thanks for baking along with me...what a thrill is has been!

I'm looking forward to sending you this JustJennDesigns I Like Big Bundts button if you baked a Bundt for today's National Bundt Day! Whoo hoo! Here are the details:

Please email me: (1) Link to your blog post (I will use one photo from your post for the round-up) or (2) One JPG photo if you don't have a blog, (3) Your name (that you want published on the blog) and title of your Bundt (4) Mailing address for the button (including your name for mailing). You have until Monday, November 22nd to send me the information. You need to bake something fresh for National Bundt Day to qualify for the button (doesn't have to be a new recipe).

Happy Happy Happy Bundt Day to you! 

Come back tomorrow for...no, not another bundt. :) I haven't completely burnt myself out, but I'm looking forward to some cookies, pies and layered cakes! But never fear, the Bundt will be back and always have a home on the Food Librarian blog. Have a great Bundt day! - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Click here for a printable recipe
Adapted from Vintage Victual who adapted it from a recipe printed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution in the 1980's
See last year's post for step-by-step instructions

Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt - Day #4 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 4 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes

It's Day 4 of my Bundt crusade with a Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt. And today, it's all about Paula. No, not the self-medicating former American Idol/Lakers Girl Paula, but Paula Deen.

Paula is always entertaining. I probably won't make most of her food, but I do like her sweet demeanor and I just love her sons. They are too cute, and really devoted to their mama.

Just remember:
This Bundt has VEGETABLES in it. And the walnuts? A superfood.

Just forget:

This Bundt is from Paula Deen so bring out the butter and sour cream!

Logo design: JustJenn of JustJennDesigns

Paula suggests pecans, but I used chopped walnuts in the yummy middle layer. It has brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon. The batter comes together quickly and gets layers between the Cinnamon Ripple. Easy peasy, no?

Paula has a rum glaze, but I drizzled powered sugar and milk glaze.

This is a Big Bundt. Really, did you expect anything less from Paula?! :) Make sure you are using a 12 or 14-cup Bundt pan. It is a moist cake with a fun, really sweet layer in the center. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea or just a fork.

I've been getting question about the consumption of my Bundt adventure :) I've been passing them around at my and nearby libraries, family, friends and tomorrow, a neighbor. I hope you make and share a Bundt!

See you back here tomorrow and every day from now til National Bundt Day (November 15th) for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt from Paula Deen website, Cooking with Paula Deen, Sept/Oct 2006

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt

Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing - Day #2 of I Like Big Bundts

Bundt #2

Day 2 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes

Today, it's the Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing!
The subtitle is: If at first you don't succeed and almost wire the entire library...try, try again.

See, the first time I made this, I confused a little thing called the teaspoon and tablespoon. Tea versus Table. Only the letter "b" and "l" are different. And I almost had the library flying.

The first time, I used two TABLEspoons of espresso powder instead of two TEAspoons. The cake baked up nicely but had a really, really strong coffee aroma. The kitchen smelled like a cranked up coffeehouse. I glazed it, photographed the cake and cut a slide for the "cross sectional photo." I usually take a bite of this piece to make sure the cake isn't strange and I used salt instead of flour or something. Man, my little bite was way tooooo strong.

So, I made it again with the proper proportions of caffeine. It still has a really strong coffee flavored jolt. If you like coffee and chocolate, this cake is totally for you. If you want a little less coffee, then ditch the extra espresso in the icing. (The cake has 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in the cake and another 2 teaspoons in the icing).

FTC disclosure: I got the Scharffen Berger Natural Cocoa Powder free in my swag bag at BlogHerFood '09 conference. I am not being paid by them to endorse or use their product. I'm just using free stuff...wouldn't you?! (The FTC came down with a ruling about full disclosure of free stuff and endorsements by bloggers. See here.)

Dietary notes: The cake can be made dairy-free if you ditch the chocolate chips or use dairy-free ones. The icing has butter, but you could leave it off and dust with powdered sugar.

I saved some of the mini chocolate chips to place on top of the cake! By the way, I definitely think you should use mini chocolate chips and not regular sized chips...the minis are more delicate.

See you back here tomorrow and every day from now til National Bundt Day (November 15th) for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
from Epicurious (Bon Appetit, September 2009)

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing

Banana Zucchini Bundt Cake with King Arthur Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites

It's the end of summer.
Sad.
Luckily, I got to go to San Diego over Labor Day weekend and met up with my friend Jami and her new doggie, Maggie. Ain't she the cutest?

When it's summer, it's zucchini time. Kinda like Hammer Time but with a little less dancing.

My blogger friend Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet recently went to King Arthur Flour in Vermont. OMG. When she said she was going to KAF for a baking class, I thought she was kidding. Seriously, I thought KAF was like Oz. A place they mention in their catalog and on their packages, but not an actual place. Well, low and behold, Mary took a baking class with her mom! See her post about her yummy adventures.

After my cat Q-Tip passed away, I received a lovely card and gift package from Mary. She is so sweet. I shook the packet and it sounded like dried cat food! But inside were King Arthur Flour's Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites. These are too cool!

I added 1/3 cup of King Arthur Flour Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites. While they do indeed look like cat food pellets, they are tasty when they soften in a baked good. They are also dairy free! Whoo hoo. (The recipe is also dairy-free).

I found this recipe on Michelle's blog (One Ordinary Day) and Alicia's blog (Confessions of a Bakeaholic ) and it looked so delicious I had to give it a shot. One cup each: raw zucchini, mashed bananas and chopped pecans, along with 1/3 c of the King Arthur Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites.

Yeah. I know. It's a Bundt. Again.
And I have another one that isn't posted yet. I think I'll save that one to space them out a bit! :)

This was yummy. It isn't really rich like Dorie Greenspan's butter and sour cream filled Banana Bundt, but it is a yummy breakfast treat. The King Arthur Flav-R-Bites add a nice cinnamon touch.

Recipe: (three options)
One Ordinary Day who found it on Recipezaar (submitted by Margo59 and baked in two loaf pans) or Confessions of a Bakeaholic

Mad Men Dutch Cinnamon Apple Cake from 1963 New York Times

Whoo Hoo! Tomorrow is the Season Premiere of Mad Men on AMC. Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet and I are creating some Mad Men inspired drinks and food. Yesterday, I made Broiled Nectarines Halves from the 1963 Sunset Magazine.

Thirsty? Mary recommends two cocktails! A Salvatore Romano inspired Limoncello drink and Late-Harvest Wine and Campari cocktails.

To celebrate Mad Men's advertising firm heading into 1963 this season, I browsed recipes in the New York Times. They would print menu suggestions every few days in 1963! I picked Dutch Cinnamon Apple Cake from the September 5, 1963 New York Times.

This recipe is way old school. Like when we thought shortening was the bomb. Sure, what could be bad about taking some fat and solidifying it?

I also brought out a 40 year old electric mixer....a precursor of my KitchenAid.

The cake was easy to make and used up some apples I had in the refrig. Was it my favorite apple cake recipe? No (although using butter instead of shortening would probably bump the taste level up)...but I'm glad to go "back in time" and try something that Peggy Olson might bake for Father Gill! (Tom Hank's son is great in Mad Men)

Make a fun avatar on the Mad Men website!

Dutch Cinnamon Apple Cake
Adapted from: New York Times, September 5, 1963
1. Sift together: 1 1/2 c flour , 2 t baking powder, 1/2 t salt - set aside
2. Cream: 1/3 c shortening, 3/4 c sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon
3. Beat in 1 egg
4. Add flour mixture alternatively with 1/2 c milk
5. (I added 1/2 t vanilla to the milk)
6. Place batter in 9 x 9 pan (buttered and floured)
7. Peel, core and slice 2 tart cooking apples (I used three small granny smith apples). Place on top of batter.
8. Sprinkle over apples: 2 T sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon. Dot with 2 T butter.
9. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.

Mad Men, Season Premiere, AMC, Sunday, August 16, 2009, 10:00 pm