APPLE NUT CAKE

I had my heart set on apple picking this fall and trying some new recipes along with making one of my favorite fall dinners;  pork chops with apples and onions, apple sauce on the side and apple nut cake for dessert. An apple lovers dream! I will have to wait until next year to pick my own, but lucky for me supermarkets stock locally grown varieties in abundance and for a reasonable price. Each apple has is own unique qualities depending on what you want to make with it. So, after a trip to the supermarket and 3 varieties of apples ( Cortland, Empire & Granny Smith ) I decided to make mom's fall favorite:  Apple Nut Cake. The cinnamon and nutmeg flavored batter combined with fresh apples and nuts makes for a super moist cake. I usually bake it in a 9x13 pan and cut large squares, douse with powdered sugar and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to complete. Although this cake tastes great warm right out of the oven, I think it is best eaten a couple of days later when the apple flavor and moistness is at its peak. 

Did you know that New York grows more apple varieties than any other state? In fact, there are approximately 10 000,000 apple trees that produce enough apples to bake 500 million apple pies! The New York Apple Association's website is a good resource to familiarize yourself with the varieties and what they are best used for.
 http://www.nyapplecountry.com/




Cortland

This all-purpose apple was developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, the USA in 1898. It is a juicy, sweet apple with a hint of tartness. Excellent multipurpose apple for eating, baking, sauces and salads. Freezes well. 

Empire

A cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious. Firm textured and sweet-tart makes this apple a great all purpose apple good for juice, sauces, pies, baking, and eating. 

Granny Smith 

One of the most popular apples, Granny Smith's are a bit sour but a good all-purpose baking apple. Is best when paired with sweeter spicier varieties to create a balanced pie.

Tips for Baking with Apples

Select apple varieties that are in season. If the apples are out of season, they may have been in storage and will not be as flavorful and juicy as fresh-picked apples. Look for firm apples that have no bruises or bug holes. Choose apples that look fresh, are bright in color and have a fresh apple aroma. Don’t choose unripe apples that are hard and have too much green or yellow color for their variety. If you're slicing apples and don't want the exposed pieces to turn brown, dunk the slices in a bowl of three parts water to one part lemon juice. When baking a pie, use a mix of sweet and tart apples to ensure a balanced flavor.

Mom's Apple Nut Cake

1 cup butter

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

3 cups sifted flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon ( I always add more - I just love cinnamon!)

2 tsp vanilla 
3 cups peeled chopped apples

1 cup chopped nuts 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan. 

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Gradually add sifted flour, baking powder,salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in vanilla. Fold in apples and nuts and bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean from center of cake. 

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

      I have been contemplating quite a lot about what to write for my December blog. Of course Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years Eve? I could have decided to post a recipe from the menu I would be creating for my Christmas dinner. However....this year is a special year for me. I do not have to host Christmas dinner!  Hard to believe since I have been hosting this special dinner for over 20 years. Mind you, at first I liked the idea and enjoyed creating a menu and trying new recipes. However some years it just felt like a chore, something I HAD to do and unfortunately I was lacking the enthusiasm and gumption you need to have when hosting 20 people for dinner.

     When I first took over the job of hosting Christmas, I loved researching and planning and decorating and continuing some of the traditions my mom had started when I was young. Every year that I can remember, my mom would make an assortment of cookies and put them in antique glass cookie jars to look oh so pretty. I know she would keep a close watch on them so we still had the assortment as part of the dessert when SHE hosted Christmas dinner. My brother and I and especially my dad used to sneak into the jars and steal one or two - maybe a Russian tea cake or a double chocolate nut cookie.....until she heard the "clink" sound from the other room as we tried to place the top on the glass cookie jar ever so gently. "Get out of the cookies ...we will not have enough for dessert!" she would yell from the other room knowing full well that she would be lucky if they were still around at Christmas. We would criticize her and tell her that she should not make them too far in advance because it tempted us so much. Either way, they were enjoyed by all.

     Unfortunately things got busier for me with 2 children, 2 dogs,  work, shopping, cooking and decorating so some things had to give. I consider myself lucky if I can make 2 types of cookies when "back in the day" I would probably make 6 or so, some of which were a little time consuming like Linzer tarts or gingerbread men all decorated in white icing. Now its down to chocolate chips and probably the Russian tea cakes. In addition I usually make some pound cakes like almond or coconut pound cake and pair it with home made ice cream. Simple yet tasty desserts.

       But, there is ONE item that I seem to find time for every year no matter how busy I am. There is always time to make a huge batch of candied pecans. A close friend of mine gave me the recipe years ago when I first got married and I think it called for walnuts but I like pecans so I used pecans instead.  It is not that time consuming and you can make a lot at one time and everyone seems to love them. They are perfect for gifts if you put them in decorated tins and easy enough that anyone can make them. They are versatile too. Sometimes I put them in my salad or use them to top a cake.Other times, I just take a handful and devour.Try them....it could be one of your new traditions.

CANDIED NUTS:

3/4   cup packed brown sugar
1/2  teaspoon salt
1  teaspoon grated orange rind
2 1/2  Tablespoon orange juice
1 pound of pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine sugar, salt, orange rind and orange juice in a large bowl. Add nuts and toss to coat. 

Line a large jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Coat it with non-stick vegetable spray. Spread nuts evenly on foil. Bake nuts for 20 - 25 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Stir nuts halfway through baking time to coat evenly. 

Place large piece of aluminum foil on the counter and spray with the cooking spray. Remove nuts from oven and pour onto foil, immediately separating nuts with two forks. Cool completely and then store in airtight containers. 

Hope you like them. Happy Holidays!