Wednesday, October 10, 2012

*shhhhhh* This recipe is a secret!

A few years ago I went to a reception and there were these brownies that defied description. But I'll try... They were chocolate chunk, with some kind of cream cheese inside, and dark chocolate layer half way through. Within minutes, we were all asking each other "who brought those brownies"????

 


 We were in for a terrible shock. The woman who had brought the brownies, couldn't give us the recipe... because her son was a dessert chef visiting from LA and she had begged him to make her some. He was bound by contract not to sell the brownies, or to share the recipe. NO KIDDING!

 Now, I have a friend who also defies description. (Ha!) She recently moved to Montana, so by the time she reads this, I'll be safe. Or at least be getting a head start. I think she said it took her 14 hours to drive back here. Time for me to get a good lock on the door.
 


  Because I'm about to share the SECRET RECIPE for her German apple cake. This is a revenge post. She used to torment me with the cake, and then say she couldn't give me the deets because her German Baptist relatives would put out a hit on her.

  But one day- one glorious day- I got THIS in my Christmas card. Now, I know it's right out of a magazine, but you can't see are the tiny comments written in there. This is where the gold is for the beginner baker. Like getting that old textbook with all the shortcuts written in the margins!

Edna is always up for a daring adventure so we got out our ingredients. (Of course, if my friend brings the goon squad, I'm not really sure I can run with Edna. But I'll put her in the Red Flyer wagon. That would work...)

So, 3 eggs
       2 cups sugar
        1 cup oil (here there's a little note that says 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup butter melted)
        1 tsp vanilla extract ( maple!)
    
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda (3/4 tsp says the note)
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups chopped tart apple (note says two large, which was about 3 cups)
 and 3/4 cup pecans (note says one cup)


And cream cheese frosting, which we didn't put on. not becuase it wasn't good, but because we didn't really need it. It was perfect!!

Edna did really well with the whole butter/oil/ egg mess. Ew. She's a toughie.


(BEFORE WE GO ON, LET ME JUST HUG BLOGGER FOR A SECOND. I PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON AND EVERYTHING WAS GONE... BUT NOT! IT WAS SAVED! WHEEEEE! BACK TO OUR POST...)
Mmmmm, we get apples by the box right from the packing shed. $10 for an assorted box. Gala, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Golden, and Fuji.  If you can stand the sight of semis and forklifts and skid steers roaring past you, it's a great way to save money. And since I have four little boys, it's more like a field trip than grocery shopping.

       Folding in the 3/4 cups pecans and the apples. The batter is very thick. Fewer apples and more nuts make it a very dense batter.
Mmmmmmm. 350 for 55 minutes and you get this! Perfection!

 
 While it cooked, Edna was reminiscing all about her fling with a Canadian Mountie. I think it was the maple extract that got her going. It was a wonderful story, full of rugged men and horses and wooden crates full of straw (surprisngly comfy, says she). But then he was gone so much, she felt neglected. Just left spinning her beaters for days on end. It was time to move on.
So, I'm setting the table for guests because I know how the internet works. As soon as the news gets out that Edna and I have spilled the famous apple cake recipe, there will be a knock at the door.

  Look at that! Who could resist? We'll get them loaded up on tea and cake and make a break for the back door. If you see a middle aged woman chugging down the sidewalk with a gleaming Sunshine Mixmaster in a battered Red Flyer wagon, for heaven's sake, stop and give me a ride. And if you're really nice, I just might tell you the other recipe I've been SWORN not to reveal.

  Until next time... I hope.

 

23 comments:

  1. A Canadian Mountie, huh? Remember that show? I had such a crush on the Mountie.

    I actually think I can adapt this recipe to GF. If I can make my great great grandmother's southern peanut butter pie GF I should be able to do it with this too. Think I'll give it a try this weekend.

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    1. Christina, weren't you the one that posted the GF table or guide on facebook? I lost it somewhere... But was going to write it down. It would be great to do a GF substitution list on a post.

      And Mounties are HOT. Or I like the color red. It's like you get a cop, and a cowboy, and a snazzy uniform all at once. *whew*

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    2. I need the gf guide too! Christina, I am adapting recipes all the time!

      Virginia, you get your own comment.

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  2. I'm hungry!
    Susanna

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    1. I know. And isn't that brownie picture such a tease??

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    2. LOL the brownie is what I'm hungry for! :-) I'l take the other too but gimme chocolate!
      Susanna

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    3. Susanna, we've tried and tried to make those brownies. I'm almosy scared to know what he put in them. Maybe they were alcoholic?? :D

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  3. Virginia, not only do you lead an exciting life but your posts are so exciting or scary or thrilling or something!

    Evil chocolate brownies. There is still Swiss chocolate in our fridge. I think there is something wrong with Man O. He didn't eat any while I was at M and M. Oh wait, he is a guy. They have chocolate control.

    This cake reminds me of my Nanny's apple cake. Must dig out that recipe and compare.

    No adorable pics of the kids this time? I forgive you. I loved Due South too. Sigh.

    Peace, Julie

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    1. Well, I don't know how adorable it is when every psot has kids with crumbs on their faces. Pretty soon, you will all start feeling like you live in my zoo.

      Better the Mountie, eh??

      I know most days I'd prefer the Mountie... Kidding! I prefer the kids. Not the crumbs.

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    2. Julie, my guy has NO chocolate control. He's worse than I am.

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    3. My husband doesn't really eat sweets but he loves these little marzipan candies they sell at Mexican grocery stores. Those don't survive here. And the worst are the little crumbs everywhere!!

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  4. First, I was raised using an ancient Mixmaster, so I'm feelin' the LOVE!

    None of my new, fancy mixers have the shelf life of that old Mixmaster. It was ugly, but you could seriously run a small factory on that motor. Talk about good old days!

    Second, I would either make the cream cheese frosting, OR... make maple frosting for this baby and stud it with finely chopped pecans to mimic the inside I think.

    The Ruthy-Rule-Of-Cake is that a cake's primary purpose in life is to Hold The Frosting. If this is not a Biblical premise, I blame the lack of rock-writing material in the Old Testament days, because I'm sure the Women of the Bible knew this.

    I'm just sayin'!!!! :)

    I love furtive, secret recipes.

    Oh my stars, you are my new BFF for sharing a secret recipe. And walk East, honey.

    I'll leave the light on for ye'!

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    1. See, I'm with you on the frosting. I lvoe the cream cheese frosting and I'm trying that MAPLE frosting! YUM!

      But I don't love the hyped up kids at 10PM, or the frosting prints everywhere. So, when they started grabbing the cake and didn't notice the lack of frosting... I sacrificed.

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  5. Oh I love a secret recipe! I can't wait to make this! What's the texture like? Is it dense and moist?

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    1. It's not that dense, strangely. You'd think fruitcake (it, not me!) with all those nuts and fruit, but it's more light and crumbly. I've tried it with larger apple pieces and I really liked it that way, but the kids kept picking them out. So, back to apple bits.

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  6. Oooo, I can't wait to try this. I love a good apple cake. As a matter of fact, I'll be sharing one soon. One with a Texas flare, of course. But in the meantime, this one's calling my name.

    Thanks, Virginia.

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    1. TExas flare! Can't wait!! We can compare to my friend's 'secret' recipe. Her family is from around here so it will be interesting to see the difference!

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  7. It certainly sounds like you've found a bosom buddie in dear Edna. I predict a sweet future for you both. :-)

    Such a teas about the brownies! You're luck I love fruit desserts too. I've never made an apple cake but I think it's about a time!!!

    And mounties. They abound up here. Reminds of me my coop stint at the RCMP headquarters during college. :-) :-)

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    1. REALLY???? Are you just saying that so we'll all come up there??? I thought they were all gone, like dragons and other mythical creatures...

      And if they'd given me a stint at Mountie headquarters when I was on college, I never would have gotten any work done. And I'd need a moop for the droool puddles.

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  8. Virginia, I love a good Google search so I tried Googling Chocolate ganache cream cheese brownies and I got this.

    Looks kinda similar minus the fruit on top, don't you think?

    http://deliciousdishesrecipes.com/chocolate-lovers-chocolate-cream-cheese-brownies-with-chocolate-ganache/

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    1. OOOOO! But the ganache looks really difficult. and I know I haven't seen this exact one before...

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  9. If you run away with Edna, meet me at Mission--we were just given lots of apples! Bring the kids for a bribe and I might even give you a ride :P

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  10. What? I have to run all the way to Mission?? :D

    By the time we got there, Edna would be pulling me. She's got that V8 motor...

    And the kids wold follow me, no bringing required. I'd have a trail of kids like breadcrumbs.

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