Apple Cinnamon Muffin/Cake

What do you do when you've been given a bag full of apples?

Not perfect, straight from the grocery store apples, but windfall apples picked up in the neighborhood?

Hmm... Perfect for cooking!

I browsed through my cookbooks and found a few recipes that might work, and ended up with this one. It was yummy and just right for a snowy afternoon.

Apple Cinnamon Muffin/Cake

Makes one cake or two muffins - serves one

ingredients:

1/4 cup flour or 3 Tablespoons low-carb baking blend

2 - 3 Tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon sugar or stevia-blend substitute (check equivalent measurements on the stevia package)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

1 egg

1 Teaspoon butter, softened

1 small apple, or 1/2 medium to large; cored, peeled, and diced

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Prepare 2 muffin cups or a small (4-cup) baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray.

Mix the ingredients - except apples - in a small bowl. Fold in the apple pieces, then put into prepared baking pan.

Sprinkle the top with more cinnamon, then bake in a 350° oven for 10-12 minutes for the muffins, or 15-18 minutes for the baking dish.

Let it cool for a few minutes, then enjoy it with a dollop of yogurt, whipped cream, or ice cream! Yes, yummy!

Meanwhile, we're settling into our new home. One of our new projects (like we needed a new project!) is this:

That is a buffet! (Yes, I know it's upside-down!)

It has drawers:

And a top:

After sitting in its former owner's garage for a couple months, we wanted to give it a good cleaning, inside and out. After we're done, we'll put it back together and it will take its place on one wall of our dining room. 

Solid wood and as heavy as...well...a tree! But did you see that wood grain? We are so thankful to have found this piece!

And the rest of the house is getting there. The library is in one corner of my office...

...and my desk is in the other.

As you can see, there are still boxes to be unpacked and things are a little messy, but it looks better than it did last week!

And we still love living in the Hills. The snow in the air lends enchantment to the view.

Have you had any snow where you are yet?

Jan Drexler spent her childhood dreaming of living in the Wild West and is now thrilled to call the Black Hills of South Dakota her home. When she isn’t writing she spends much of her time satisfying her cross-stitch addiction or hiking and enjoying the Black Hills with her husband of more than thirty-seven years.

Easy Apple Cake

I had leftover apple pie filling from our post-Christmas crepes... and I can't let that deliciousness go to waste, can I?

No!

So I found a dump-style cake recipe online and played...

1 box white cake mix
2 1/2 cups apple pie filling (that's what I had left...) OR: use a large can of apple pie filling...
3 large eggs

Mix together. Spread into 13 X 9" greased and floured pan. Spread with streusel topping:

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 TBSP. butter, softened
1 tsp. cinnamon

Blend all together. Sprinkle on top of cake mix in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, until center is lightly firm and a toothpick comes out with  just moist crumbs.

Drizzle with cinnamon glaze below:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. soft butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together. Add milk and mix to desired consistency.

I like to drizzle this onto the cake, so I added two splashes of milk... maybe two tablespoons? I didn't measure, I went by sight... and then drizzled the top of the cake with the cinnamon glaze.

So good!

We're having this for an after-school snack so I'll let youse know what the kids think. They might object to the nuts.... but I won't! :)

And we're closing in on the time of "normal" here in upstate.... Winter, short days, long nights, a perfect time for writing books and rocking babies...

Or reading stories and doing homework with teens!

For the next few months, that's our normal.... and I have to confess: I love it. :)

When Chaos Reigns, Let Them Eat Cake

Last week I complained about the chaos in my house due to painting. Boy, was I wrong. The professional painters arrived yesterday to start on all the trim in the house. This is what things look like now.

In every room of the house, things are shoved to the middle. Sanding has left a film of dust EVERYWHERE!

So what's a writer to do when her world is in chaos?
Tackle the boxes and boxes of photos from her mother, aunt and grandmother.

But let me tell you, doing this from noon to six can be pretty draining. Who are these people in this photo from 1920? Oy!

Note to self: Make notations on every photo.

You know what all this means. Stress. And pizza delivery. Either that or a campout in the backyard.

So while I savor my thin crust from Dominos, I'm going to reflect on a favorite recipe I shared a couple years ago. One that's perfect for fall. Apples, a little heat... Perfect for a cool autumn night.

This is called Chipotle Apple Pecan Cake. Now before all you folks north of Oklahoma get to hollerin', let me just say IT AIN'T THAT HOT. Really. I promise. Would I steer you wrong?

Okay, don't answer that last one.

This cake just screams autumn with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Not to mention apples. But unlike your average apple cake, this one will warm you up on the inside. Again, it's not hot.

So here we go.

Your list of ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground chipotle pepper (feel free to cut back 1/2 tsp)

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1 1/2 cup cooking oil

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

3 large sweet-tart apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 3 cups) **I used Honeycrisp apples

1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Spicy Caramel Glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10 inch bundt pan and set aside.

In a bowl, combine 3 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, chipotle, ginger, white pepper, salt, and cloves. Set aside. (Time for author intrusion. I see you, staring at the chipotle and white pepper. I know what you're thinking. First, let me just say that I am not a fan of spicy-hot foods. Yes, these ingredients lend a little warmth, but not a real heat. It's the kind you feel in the back of your throat a minute or two after you swallow. Just a nice warming sensation. However, if you want to be a total weenie, I will let you omit the chipotle. I do recommend, however, that you at least try it once. If the whole teaspoon scares you, try a half a teaspoon.)

In a mixing bowl, beat oil and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in vanilla and as much flour mixture as you can. (The mixture is thick, but I managed to get all of mine in with out burning up the motor on my mixer)

Stir in remaining flour mixture, apples, and pecans.

The mixture will be very thick. As evidenced by the wooden spoon stuck in the middle.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. (mine was finished in about 60-65 minutes)

AS SOON AS YOU PUT CAKE IN OVEN (I'm being very emphatic so you won't miss this part), prepare Spicy Caramel Glaze.

Okay, gang, I'll be honest with you, this glaze is where the heat is. The first time I made it, I thought my lips might burn off. But I ate it anyway. It was kind of addicting. In subsequent times, though, I've cut back on the amount of chipotle pepper the recipe calls for.

In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup whipping cream, and 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder (that's the red stuff you see - I cut that 1/2 tsp. back to about 1/8-1/4 tsp and it was perfect - my lips were happy)

Bring to boiling, stirring occasionally. Boil gently 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla. Let stand until slightly thickened. (Okay, I failed to read all of the instructions the first time I made this and waited until the cake was about due out of the oven. Then I saw it was supposed to cool. Yikes! So, I put the hot mixture into a bowl then placed that over some ice water and whisked it. Voila! In just a couple of minutes it was the perfect consistency)

When cake is done, cool in pan for 10 minutes. See my little contraption, there? Baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then the cooling rack on that. You'll see why in just a sec.

Invert cake on rack and drizzle warm cake with Spicy Caramel Glaze, respooning glaze that drips on the baking sheet over the cake.

Cool completely before serving.

Look at those chunks of apple and pecan. I love pecans. This cake is very moist with all the right flavors. Like I said, the perfect fall cake.

I sure wish I had a plate like this in front of me right now. I mean, what a perfect replacement for pizza. Fruit, nuts, wheat... A well balanced meal, if you ask me.

Alas, the painting will not last forever. Though it does make me consider the renovations we will be doing when we take over my MIL's house next year. At least we won't be living there. I can only pray they won't take too long. Because, let's face it, eating cake for too long is not good for the waistline. And if that reno grows lengthy, I could be in trouble.

Apple fritter cake and small joys

Hello, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have a delicious apple fritter cake to share.

 First, a few pictures. We like to hike up around the city. It's a small town but we've hardly ever met other people up on the trail. It's a great (no travel) way to get out and get some exercise. Here's our dog, feeling the freedom. This day was overcast, but still warm. Now, it's only a few weeks later and I can't imagine standing up there in the frigid wind!

Those tiny dots are my kids waving for me to taking the "short way". I declined. I like my knees just the way they are, thanks. I'll leave the almost vertical descending and ascending to them, and go the long way around.

On the way, I ran into a hungry tiger! It was close, but I managed to run away with only a few nibbles and the gum missing from my pocket.

So, I didn't get any pictures of the process but I do have ONE picture... an it's got my dirty oven in it. Ah well, we're all friends here.
Rachelle McCalla posted this bit of deliciousness on facebook and the original post at The Domestic Doozie is here.  She has better pictures of the process, anyway.

domesticdoozie.blogspot.com

I modified the recipe just a little, cutting the butter in the cinnamon topping and making the drizzle maple flavored. :) Pop on over and check it out. All I can say is YUM and "it's all gone". I really did taste like an apple fritter, too. Or an apple fritter/ maple bar cross, after my modifications.

Until next time! I hope everyone is healthy and doing well as we go into winter. Feel free to stop by my author page Mary Jane Hathaway or my blog The Things That Last.

A Fun Cake for Fall!

Hello, everybody! This here is a repeat from 2012 because as much many good intentions I have to blog ahead, most of the time I write my post at 6Pm on a Friday night! Tonight I didn't have anything to pull out of my hat (hard drive) because I just made secret recipe apple cake and posole, both of which I've done before. But I love this post because my kids look SO TINY. Even the teens! 

But rather than mope, I thought I'd post a retrospective as a bloggy sort of Psalm 148. (It's okay if you don't have it memorized, you can read it here... and then come back!).  Psalm 148
I want to go for one last glorious run through my backyard.

Fresh raspberries. Heaven on earth.

 Squash and zucchini from my friend Barb's garden.

 Piles of cukes from my stepmother's garden. We ate so many cucumbers, I'm surprised we're not green.

 Blueberries from Lampson Blueberries, just twenty minutes from our house, up in the hills. We picked over 150 lbs and they didn't even make it to October. Let's see: 8 people, 3 months, that's approximately 6 pounds of blueberries a month per person in our house. Not very much! Next year, we'll pick more. I say that every year.

Pears from my dad's pear tree. (Like my kettle? Very Pioneer-y.)

Peaches from one of our two peach trees. There were so many that I had to figure out how to freeze them. Ruthy's peach pie is my next project!

Our seedless grapes have finally rebounded from the drought of 2001. Had a wonderful crop this year and about 50 lbs went to a woman who made them into raisins. She bakes panattone for Christmas and ships it all over the US.

Pounds and pounds of perfect plums from my dad's orchard. The tree was so overloaded it was breaking its own branches. We must have picked a hundred pounds. My neighbors started pulling their curtains when they saw us coming with our bags of free plums. You can only eat so many...

Oops, how did this sneak in here?? We're supposed to be praising God's bountiful goodness. But I suppose zucchini bread with walnuts and chocolate chips is worthy of a little praise. :)

We also had bags and bags of our neighbors' goodies because we live in the sort of place that if you're growing it, you better share. It's just good manners. So we've had sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes and apricots, too.

I'm continually in awe of the massive blessings that God showers on us, for no good reason.

He's just that way. And this was a little 'taste' of the way He blesses us out here in ORYGUN.

 (And that pic was taken by Jeff Horner who works at our little hometown paper, the Walla Walla Union Bulletin. The guy is brilliant. Who knows why he lives way out here in podunk east, but we're sure glad he does.)

But as winter closes in, I'll try to remember what Mother Teresa said. "Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand."

When the memories of fresh raspberries and pears have faded and I'm staring out my kitchen window at the frost on the dead lawn, I'll just reach out and snag a toddler... and give them some loving. (Like this little dude, watching his cookies bake. He stared at them for a long time before they were 'done'.)

Hey, here's a cute one... And he's holding walnuts. Bonus.

Better yet, I'll snag a tweener or two. Hey, she looks hug-able...

This one is scaring me a bit. Too many ninja movies?

Oh, wait. This one really needs a squeeze. Cranky, naked toddler out of the bath stole her apple slices and then sat his naked tushie on her lap. Check out her face. She's thinking how much her life stinks right now. Long-suffering tweeners. Gotta love 'em.

 

So, to ease the transition to Fall, we're going to do what we do best. Make a cake!

Oh wait, I'm not good at cake. But I still like to eat cake, so I'll make one anyway. I've picked up a few tips over here on Yankee Belle Cafe, so let's go try them out.

I saw Hershey's has a chocolate cake recipe that didn't look too hard. And it's rated BEGINNER. I'll take that as a good sign...

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cupsall-purpose flour
3/4 cupHERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
· 2 eggs
· 1 cup milk · ( we were out but I used condensed, with some water. Am I just like a pioneer woman or what??)
    1/2 cup vegetable oil
   2 teaspoons vanilla extract
   1 cup boiling water

So, I mixed everything together (really, just like that except for the boiling water and the Hershey's powder, those I mixed separately and then added them) and let Edna do her magic. (Check out that gleaming chrome. Go, baby, go!!)

I think it was Mindy who said to dust the inside with cocoa powder instead of flour. MMMMMM.

And then Missy had a great tutorial on when a toothpick comes out clean it means done. Really clean, not sorta clean, with blobs. THEN she said to let it cool completely before trying to pry it out of the pan. (*lightbulb*)

SUCCESS!!!! And now I stuffed foil in there so the aliens wouldn't mess with its chocolate brain.

No, no, no. I have a plan. and it involves real pumpkin stem. So out I go to the porch...

And mix some frosting until it's just the right shade of.... salmon pink. Whatever. Use your imaginations.
At least the green was okay. And now for the decoration... Because you know I live in a zoo.

Uh-huh. Eat your hearts out, ladies. Multi-colored sprinkles dumped on by a 3 year old.

 

And check out that shirt. HE's ready for Fall! Even if I'm not.
Even if I'm dreading the six month trek through socks and shoes and jackets and coats and mittens and runny noses and being trapped in the house all day. 
Because it will pass, and we'll have some fun while we wait for spring to come around again.

(My friend Patty Jones' pumpkins, straight from the patch! She sold them on the cheap and donated all proceeds to the Humane Society. She rocks.)

 So, I raise my cake and say a prayer for friends near and far. Because LOVE is a fruit always in season, no matter how long this winter will last.

Until next time! Pop on over to my facebook page at Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits where I have all my new book news, or to my blog The Things That Last.