Apple Date and Pecan Cake

Here is a super moist and delicious apple cake which I've adapted from one of my favorite Scandinavian bakers, Beatrice Ojakangas.  Chock full of apples, dates and nuts, it's what you can't see that may surprise you...coffee, cocoa and cardamom!  Three delightful additions that make this cake extra special and quite Scandinavian :)  It's perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning or tea in the afternoon.    

I was recently gifted a bag of apples from a friend.  From a local farm, she had more than she could use so offered some of them to me.  Beauties!    

This cake was so moist, I had trouble keeping it dusted with powdered sugar :)  Next time I make it, I will reduce the amount of apples and dates slightly and I've made note of that in the recipe.

It has lasted several days in the frig and freezes beautifully.

If you love the combination of apples, dates and pecans, I hope you give this recipe a try.  I thought it was one of the most delicious apple cakes I've baked!

The leaves are falling and the temperatures are cooling.  It's a great time of year to visit a local apple farm and buy or pick apples!  Our farmers' market had a wonderful variety too.

Apple Date and Pecan Cake

Printable Recipe

Serves 10-12

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons unsweetened dark cocoa
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cold, strong coffee
4 cups tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (next time I will use only 3 cups)
1 cup chopped, pitted dates (next time I will use only 3/4 cup)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch bundt pan or 13 x 9-inch baking pan.  I sprayed my bundt pan with Bakers Joy.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until smooth. I used a stand mixer on medium speed.  Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy.

Stir the cocoa, cardamom, cinnamon, and soda into the flour and blend until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture along with vanilla and coffee. Beat until batter is very smooth. Stir in the apples, dates, and nuts until evenly blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes for a bundt pan or 35 to 40 minutes for a 13 x 9-inch pan - or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the tube cake for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Cool the rectangular cake completely in its pan on a wire rack.  Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Apple, Pear and Cranberry Tart

This easy-to-make upside down tart, or tarte tatin, is the essence of fall with apples, pears and cranberries in a deliciously different pastry crust.

The tart is prepared in an oven-proof skillet with a layer of caramelized brown sugar, butter and spices at the bottom and a delicious oat and butter crust on the top.  After baking, it is flipped upside down onto a plate so the caramel layer coats the filling mixture for a delicious and not too heavy dessert.  Vanilla ice cream would be a great addition!

The recipe says to serve warm but it was just as good after a night in the refrigerator.  We loved it!  The crust was a delightful surprise and I could have eaten the whole thing if my husband hadn't beat me to it.

We had our first freeze this past weekend.  With the temperatures reaching the 70s today through Wednesday we are officially having Indian Summer.

 

Speaking of Indian Summers is anyone else watching the PBS series? I'm enjoying it very much. The cast is wonderful!   

Apple, Pear and Cranberry Tart

Printable Recipe

This easy to make upside-down tart or tarte tatin in French, uses the best that autumn has to offer and the crust is delicious! See My Notes below.

8 servings

Crust

1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons ice water

Filling

2 ripe but firm pears, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large apple, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup fresh cranberries

To make the crust:

Put the flour, oats, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor and process until the oats are finely ground. Add the butter, a piece at a time, and pulse two to three times after each addition, until blended. Add the oil and water and pulse only until the dough starts to come together. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times until it holds together. Pat the dough into a 5-inch disk and wrap in plastic or wax paper.  Refrigerate while the filling is prepared.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

To make the filling:

Toss the pear and apple slices with lemon juice in a large bowl.

Put the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and ginger in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the butter and sugar are melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat. Arrange the pear and apple slices in concentric circles, starting at the center and work outward, overlapping the slices and adding another layer until all the slices are in the pan. Scatter the cranberries over the top.

Return the pan to medium-low heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.  Peek under the fruit or listen for the bubbling if you cannot see it. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, gently tilting the pan occasionally, until the sauce becomes a thicken and caramelly, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Roll the dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 12-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough over the fruit. Peel off the remaining paper. Quickly tuck the edges of the crust down into the sides of the pan. Prick the top with a fork. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the crust just begins to brown around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the crust then place a serving plate larger than the pan on top and invert the tart onto the plate. Serve warm.

My notes: I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour for the crust and used a seasoned 8" cast iron skillet for the tart. While there was a little too much dough, the filling ingredients were just about right.  I did need to add another half apple.  Perhaps mine were a little smaller.

Adapted from Eating Well.com

Apple Cake with Toffee and Caramelized Apples

If you are more of a cake person than a pie person, this could be the perfect Thanksgiving dessert for you.  I tested this recipe on my family this past weekend and there was already talk of messing with tradition this year.  Heresy, I know, but understandable after you taste this cake.

The apple cake is first baked then drizzled with a toffee glaze while still warm.  Toothpick holes poked in the cake help the glaze sink deep into the cake and flavor it with warm, toffee-flavored goodness creating a toffee 'crust' on the bottom when it cools.

If that doesn't sound delicious enough, the cake is served with warm toffee sauce, caramelized apples and vanilla ice cream. Exclamation point. 

This is one delicious cake! 

Since National Bundt Day is coming on November 15th , I baked the cake in one of my traditional Bundt pans rather than the spring form pan with tube center stated in the recipe.  It worked perfectly. 

Apple Cake with Toffee and Caramelized Apples

Adapted from Food and Wine

Printable Recipe

Note:  I  reduced the original 2 cups of sugar in the cake to 1-1/2 cups and think it could even be reduced to 1 or 1-1/4 cup since the cake was still fairly sweet.

SERVINGS: 10 to 12

(See Do-Ahead Instructions at the End)

For the Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (I used Safflower Oil)
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 large or 3 small Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and diced into ½” pieces)

For the Toffee Glaze:

1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Toffee Serving Sauce:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon brandy

For the Caramelized Apples:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 large Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and sliced into 8 wedges)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons water

Serve with vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Butter and flour a traditional Bundt pan (I sprayed with Baker's Joy instead).

Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the oil and granulated sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending thoroughly. Then, add the dry ingredients about a cup at a time and blend until smooth. Fold in the diced apples with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (My cake only took 1 hour). Let cool slightly.

While the cake is cooling slightly, combine the butter, cream and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat while stirring. Remove the toffee glaze from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Place the warm cake (still in its pan) on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the hot glaze over the cake and let it seep into the cake, poking gently with a toothpick (I also tiled the pan from side to side). Then, allow the cake to cool completely, about 2-1/2 hours. Invert the cake onto a serving platter.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat while stirring. After the sauce is boiling, use a moistened pastry brush and wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. The, cook without stirring until a medium-amber caramel forms.  This will take about 5-7 minutes so watch carefully so that it does not burn. Remove from the heat and quickly but very carefully stir in the cream and butter (the sauce will bubble up). Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the brandy. Allow to cool slightly and pour the toffee sauce into a pitcher.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and the brown sugar. Add the apples and cinnamon and cook over moderately high heat, turning the apples once or twice, until they are tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the water to dissolve the caramel in the skillet, then transfer the caramelized apples to a plate.

Slice the cake and serve with the caramelized apples, toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Do Ahead:

The unmolded cake can be stored overnight at room temperature wrapped in plastic wrap or foil. The toffee sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week and gently reheated before serving. The apples can be made 3 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

Apple and Cheese Turnovers

My first official dessert of autumn!  I knew it had to be something with apples.  Apple and spice and every nice, you know.  An absolute must at this time of year.

What is your favorite kind of apple?  I love an apple that is sweet and juicy and has a lot of crunch.  I usually pick Fuji, Braeburn or Honey Crisp.  I still haven't tried the new Sweet Tango yet.  I was thrilled to see organic Honey Crisp apples at the market this week.  I do try my best to avoid the "Dirty Dozen".

These little turnovers, or hand pies as people like to call them now,  are made with store bought puff pastry, a perfect example of easy and delicious!  With the addition of Farmers' Cheese, they become a tasty twist on a blintz.
 

This was the first time I had baked with Farmers' Cheese (dry curd).  It tastes like a cross between cream cheese and ricotta cheese, flavor and texture-wise so don't be put off by the itsy-bitsy curds in the filling.  It tastes delicious! 

The original recipe calls for 1 lb (or 2 sheets of puff pastry). If you use only one sheet of puff pastry you can make six turnovers, which I did for just my husband and myself.  I'm going try and freeze a couple to reheat on Sunday morning. They would make perfect picnic food for a trip to a park or to the country to see the fall colors.

My husband and I recently returned from attending a wedding near Atlanta, Georgia for the daughter of very good friends.  While there, we did some sight-seeing in and around Atlanta.  One of the most impressive of the places we visited was The Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I am an avid gardener.  The living sculptures at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens were just amazing and are so well maintained and beautiful.  Here are just a few of the many photos I took.  

At the top is the Earth Goddess.  She is 25 feet tall and a waterfall flows from her hand.  Her tresses are real plants and are tended to and changed regularly. Below her are a gorilla and cobra, both made with living plants and 10-20 feet tall.  There are many more amazing living sculptures like this throughout the gardens. I highly recommend a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Apple and Cheese Turnovers

Adapted from Food and Wine

Printable Recipe

SERVINGS: makes 12 hand pies (can be easily halved by using only 1 sheet of puff pastry - roll out to 8 x 12 and cut 6 squares)

These turnovers or hand pies have a filling that combines tart and sweet apples with farmer cheese and cinnamon.

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 pound puff pastry (2 sheets)
2 Honey Crisp apples, or apples of your choise, coarsely grated (I used the large holes on a box grater)
3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup farmer cheese (most well-stocked stores carry it in tubs).  See Note*
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional - my addition)

Pinch of salt
1 large egg, beaten

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry into 2 8 x 12 rectangles and cut out twelve (6 per sheet) 4-inch squares. Transfer the squares to a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 10 minutes. In a bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, farmer cheese, cinnamon, salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Brush the edges of the squares with the egg and mound 2 tablespoons of the apple filling on each one. Fold to form triangles and press to seal. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Using a fork, crimp the edges of the triangles. Brush the tops with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Cut 3 small slits in each to release steam. Bake until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes, shifting the pans front to back halfway through. Let cool, then serve.

*I've read that you can use small curd cottage cheese in place of Farmers Cheese.  Just drain it very well and then pulse it in a food processor for a creamier texture. 

French Apple Tart with Crème Pâtissière

This past weekend I made my first 'fall-ish' dessert. Not that apple pies and tarts can't be made any time of the year but, for some reason, they taste better when the weather starts to cool and apples are at their freshest.  I decided to make an apple tart made with the crème pâtissière that I used in the peach baluchons I made last year in September. 

The creamy vanilla filling was delicious with the apples!  If you look closely, you can see the vanilla cream peaking out on the left side next to the crust :) 

As a shortcut, I used frozen puff pastry for my tart shell but you could make your own favorite pie crust recipe if you prefer. It's fun to use the puff pastry scraps to make cut outs for decorations.  Directions included in the recipe below.  

French Apple Tart with Crème Pâtissière

Printable Recipe

For the Crème pâtissière:

1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean (I recommend using a vanilla bean but you could substitute vanilla extract)
¼ cup sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter

Place milk in medium saucepan over medium heat. Split and scrape the vanilla bean, and add bean to pan along with scrapings. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in separate bowl, beat together sugar, cornstarch and yolks until mixture turns pale yellow. Gradually pour milk into yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return mixture to medium heat and whisk continually until mixture thickens and just comes to a boil being careful not to let it get too thick. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter. Remove vanilla bean. Pour cream into a bowl, and place plastic wrap directly over the cream. This will prevent a skin from forming while the cream cools. Place in refrigerator to cool.

For the Apple Tart:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (or your favorite pie crust recipe)
3-4 Granny Smith apples, depending how their size
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Using one sheet of puff pastry dough, unthawed, gently roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it will completely fill a tart pan with removable bottom with enough to cover over the sides slightly. Pat to fit and trim off the excess. Prick the bottom of the tart all over with a fork and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Set aside to cool. (If you have enough dough left, you can cut decorative shapes and bake them on another small baking sheet for about 5-7 minutes while the shell is baking)

Cut and core the apples. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice them into uniform slices about 1/4 inch thick. Fill the bottom of the tart shell with the cooled Crème pâtissière, spreading to smooth it out evenly. Place them in a mixing bowl and add the sugar and cinnamon and toss. Starting at the outside rim of the baked tart shell, start making a concentric circle with the apple slices, overlapping them slightly. The next row should overlap the first by at least 1/4 inch, keeping in mind that the apples will shrink slightly when they bake. Finish the center by cutting either one large round, thin slice of apple or three smaller ones - enough to fill the center. Brush the top of the apples with the melted butter. Alternatively, you could use apricot jelly or preserves, melted.

Bake the tart in a 375 degree preheated oven for 50 minutes.

Served with sweetened whipping cream (I added a little cinnamon to mine).

Enjoy!

Apple Tarts for My Sweets~

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian friends! 

Even though it's not Thanksgiving here in the U.S., having the whole family for dinner is always a special and wonderful event and yesterday was no exception. Having to leave dessert on the table to walk a fussy baby was all the dessert I needed :) 

Making apple tarts using frozen puff pastry is one of the quickest and easiest desserts to make!

Simply follow the directions on the puff pastry sheet box to thaw. Roll out the thawed puff pastry to fit a tart pan with a removable bottom, press into place and then chill for about 10-15 minutes in the frig. Meanwhile, peel and slice the apples. Having a mandolin to slice the apples also makes quick work of slicing. I like to leave just a little peel on the apples for texture.

If you want, you can use the excess puff pastry to make little cut-outs to decorate the tart.

I arranged the apple slices over the pastry in the tart pans, and sprinkled each tart with about a tablespoon of lemon juice, about 2/3 cup of sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon added. Then, I crumbled about 1 tablespoon of butter of the top and drizzled with approximately 1 tablespoon of heavy cream.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes until the crust is golden and the apples are softened.  That's it!