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Filtering by Tag: apple

torta di mele | apple tart

Andrea

My goodness...I should not have underestimated the powers of a beautiful salad! Thank you all for your sweet comments and enthusiasm. I won't lie, I fully expected to receive a whopping 2 comments on yesterday's post, so I appreciate all 10 of you proving me wrong. :)

As promised, here is an apple tart to kick off your weekend. It is your reward for yesterday's salad love, friends. This here tart is one of those pesky editorial assignments that I was telling you about, the completely fun and delicious and right-up-my-ally projects that cause me to eat more sweets/sushi/potato chips/wedding cake than maybe I should. This particular recipe was made and photographed for C-Ville Weekly and published in last week's issue. I'm just a little behind in getting it up here on Bella Eats. But, for all of you Charlottesville folks, Relay Foods has all of the ingredients ready to add to your cart in one click should you choose to make this apple tart this Fall. And you really should, as it is simple and lovely and delicious...three qualities I strive for in most food coming out of my kitchen.

Your tart will most likely look just a little bit different than mine because, well, I messed with the recipe a little bit. And wrongly, I might add. Your apples probably won't sit so high on the base, and the base itself won't be quite as dense. Even though I added a tad too much flour we still loved this treat.  I can't wait to make it again, sticking to the recipe below.

The pattern cut into the apples is, other than pretty, very helpful to slicing the tart in any way you might wish.

Torta di Mele (Apple Tart)

serves 8

from Meredith Barnes, C-Ville Weekly October 4-10, 2011

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • zest from 1 lemon
  • 1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 tbsp milk
  • 4 tart apples, peeled, cored, and halved
  • 2 tbsp apricot preserves
  • 2 tbsp water
Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.  Butter and flour a 9" or 10" cake pan, tapping to remove excess flour.
  2. Place the egg, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in the large bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until mixture is starting to combine and then add the melted butter, continuing to pulse until smooth.
  3. Combine the flour and yeast, and add to the mixture in the processor. Pulse until evenly distributed, add the milk and vanilla, and then process until a soft batter forms.  
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread across the pan until it is level.
  5. Deeply score the 8 apple halves in a grid pattern.  Place one half in the center of the cake pan and arrange the remaining halves in a circular pattern. Bake for 10 minutes, the reduce the oven temperature to 350° and bake for 35-40 minutes more, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Meanwhile, combine the 2 tbsp apricot preserves with the 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until melted.  When the tart comes out of the oven, brush it with the preserves and bake for an additional 3 minutes.  Serve warm.

categories baking, dessert
tags apple, breakfast, cake, dessert, fall, tart, torta di male

a winner, indeed

Andrea

pie logo apple Our car winds its way up the narrow gravel road to the top of Carter Mountain. The windows are cracked, and the almost-too-cold October air slips in and lifts my hair from my face. The early afternoon light is diffused by retreating rain clouds that lend the sky a lovely texture rather than pose any real threat of storms. We bump along the pitted drive, ignoring the dust billowing up from beneath the tires of the [very slow] car full of tourists in front of us. We have no schedule, no place to be, just plans for picking bags full of apples and enjoying this first rain-free afternoon in days. cheddar apple pie-6-edit Once parked we make our way through the crowd towards the renovated barn, dodging bundled-up children being pulled in bright red Radio Flyer wagons by slightly-frazzled parents. The smell of freshly baked apple pie and apple cider doughnuts fills the air as we find the ‘pick-your-own’ information kiosk, grab a bag, ask about availability and set off on our hunt for sweet and crisp Fuji apples. We continue our journey towards the top of the mountain, this time on foot, huffing and puffing just a little as I am reminded again of why I should wear sturdier shoes on these treks. Fifteen minutes later we have found rows full of our target. The bright pink globes dance in the wind and beg to be picked, and I am thankful again that Brian is tall and can reach the otherwise unattainable perfect specimens near the tops of the trees. cheddar apple merge 1 We fill our first bag, saving the second for a bin full of bright green Granny Smiths calling our name back at the barn. The pick-your-own trees once dripping with that variety were stripped the previous two weekends during the Carter Mountain Apple Festival, the bounty already baked into pies and crisps across the city of Charlottesville. Once we’ve gathered more apples than we probably need, stashed a half-gallon of apple cider under an arm and paid for our haul, we make our way back to the car already planning our next trip to the orchard in two weeks, when Pink Ladies will be ripe for picking. cheddar apple pie-10 I knew from the first moment that Brian and I started talking about Bella Eats Pie Month that I would be making an apple pie. Not because of the time of year, or its classic role on the Thanksgiving dinner menu, or the fact that we have a lovely orchard located a mere 15 minutes from our house with trees loaded down with apples. No, I knew that apple pie would be on the agenda because it is my husband’s number one, all-time favorite, could eat it every day, dessert. If I am the director of our kitchen and weekly menus (and truly, I don’t hold all the control), he is the marketing agent for the apple pie, advocating for its place at our table as soon as the first golden light of fall spills through our windows and across the dining room floor. cheddar apple merge 3 I really wanted to try something new (to us, at least) for Pie Month, and so started to look into apple pie variations. Initially Brian balked, for even though he is a fan of the apple cranberry pie I make every year, he is truly a classicist when it comes to his favorite dishes and was not keen on the idea of my shaking things up. Until a reader, Hannah, was sweet enough to send me her grandmother’s recipe for Cheddar Apple Pie. Cheddar? Apples? Yum! I’m embarrassed to say that we’d never even heard of such a pie in our household, not even the Wisconsin tradition of layering a slice of cheddar across a warm slice of freshly-baked apple pie. The idea appealed to both of us, especially Brian’s not-so-sweet tooth, and so Cheddar Apple Pie was penciled into the agenda. cheddar apple pie-14 A bit more research later, and I discovered that I’d overlooked the Cheddar-Crusted Apple Pie in the September 2009 issue of Gourmet. Given the recent, heart-breaking turn of events for one of the most beloved food publications out there, I decided to give that recipe a try, having never been disappointed with a recipe from Gourmet and wanting to mourn its untimely demise in my own way. cheddar apple merge 4 As with most recipes I've tried from within the pages of Gourmet, this one came together beautifully.  Once the dough softened up a bit and stopped giving me a killer upper-body workout, it was a dream to work with.  No tears or splits or crumbles except for at the edges.  The slight sweetness of the filling was perfectly balanced by the savory tone of the crust, which flaked just as it was meant to and melted away on the tongue.  The cheddar added a nice punch that left me wishing I had baked off the scraps leftover after trimming the pie's edge, imagining that pairing those crispy strips with slices of fresh apple would have provided a perfect afternoon snack. The not-too-sweet nature of this pie was the perfect follow-up to the rich chocolate + caramel pies I was producing last week.  If you have loved ones who aren't big dessert fans, who just don't have much of a sweet tooth, this pie is the answer to your "what shall I make" questions.  Even Brian, who has been known to pass up cake / cookies / pie / ice cream in favor of an extra helping of meat or mashed potatoes, consumed multiple pieces of this pie in a day.  And then did it again the next.  This pie is a winner, indeed. cheddar apple pie-17 I had an additional apple pie planned for the week, a classic version shared by Joy, but a busy weekend and even busier evenings prevented its assembly in our kitchen. Luckily this first pie came out wonderfully, other than a few of my own mistakes that I've noted below the recipe. And, given Brian’s obsession and the ripening of Pink Ladies on the trees at Carter Mountain Orchard in a short amount of time, I feel certain that I will be making Joy's pie in the near future and will be sure to share it with you all. If you're in the mood for more of an apple crisp or crumble, try out Nana's recipe.  You won't be disappointed. cheddar apple pie-18 Cheddar-Crusted Apple Pie from Gourmet, September 2009 (sniff, sniff) serves 6 to 8 Pastry Ingredients:
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar (preferably white), coarsely-grated (2-1/2 cups)
  • 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I had no shortening, so used more butter instead)
  • 6 to 8 tbsp ice water
  • 1 tbsp milk (or 1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water), for wash
Filling Ingredients:
  • 3 pounds of apples (I used Fuji and Granny Smith, but will substitute either Pink Ladies or more Granny Smiths for the Fuji next time), about 6 medium apples
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
For the Pastry Dough:
  1. Stir together flour, salt and cheese in a large bowl.  Add butter and shortening and blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles course breadcrumbs and the biggest pieces of butter are no larger than a pea.
  2. Drizzle 6 tbsp of the cold water over the mixture and stir with a fork until incorporated.  Squeeze a lump of the dough between your fingers.  If it holds together it is ready, if it falls apart it needs more water.  Add a tablespoon at a time, testing after each addition until the consistency is right.  Do not overwork or your pastry will be tough.
  3. Turn out dough onto floured work surface and divide in two.  Shape each half into a smooth 5-inch diameter disk and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to two days.  It can be frozen at this stage for up to three months.
Assemble the Pie:
  1. Put a foil-lined baking sheet in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 450*.
  2. Peel and core the apples.  Slice into 1/4-inch thick pieces.  (see note below)  Toss apples with lemon juice, flour, sugar and salt until evenly coated.
  3. Roll out one disk of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch round. (see note below)  Fit into a 9-inch pie plate (mine is glass) leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.  Roll out the second disk of dough into an 11-inch round.
  4. Transfer filling to the shell.  Dot with butter (see note below), then cover with the second pastry round.  Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.  Press edges together to seal then fold under.  Crimp edges as desired.  Brush top of crust with milk (or egg, my preferred wash) and sprinkle with course sugar.  Cut vent 5 vent holes (1-inch long).
  5. Bake on hot baking sheet for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375* and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 30-40 minutes more.  (I baked mine for full 40, but should have removed it at 30 as the filling and bottom crust were over-done).
  6. Cool to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.
cheddar apple pie-20 Notes:
After removing the dough from the refrigerator, let it sit for 5 minutes or so to soften up before rolling it out.  And be ready for a workout!  The cheese binds this dough together very nicely, which makes it a bit tough to work until you get it pretty thin. The Granny Smith apples held together nicely, but the Fuji apples were reduced to the consistency of a chunky applesauce.  If you're going to use two varieties of apples with different textures, be sure to compensate by slicing the softer apples thicker than the others. Do not bake this pie on the bottom rack, as I did with my Italian Plum Pie.  I'm not sure if it was the addition of cheese in the crust, or the fact that the apples weren't as juicy as the plums (and therefore less likely to soften the crust), but after baking this pie on the bottom rack the bottom crust was overdone, even with less baking time.  It tasted just fine, but was tough to cut through with only your fork.
cheddar apple pie-22

Local

The Virginia Chutney Festival is this weekend (the 24th) in Sperryville!  Go check it out and report back to me since I won't be in town to participate in the festivities! WriterHouse in Charlottesville is hosting a morning seminar this Saturday (the 24th) with Molly Cox Bryan (author of Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies and Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant Cookbook) titled "Writing About Food - Turning Appetite Into Art and Articles".  I SO wish I were going to be in town for this!!!  Again, GO and report back to me! And last, I've just learned of a special dinner being held at Maya in Charlottesville on November 9th that will feature ALL local food!  Participants include two of my City Market favorites, Double H Farm and Roundabout Farm, along with local wine.  There are other exciting details, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find any information online.  Call 434.979.6292 for additional details and reservations.  I'll post more as I learn more, but I can assure you that Brian and I (along with a couple other foodie friends) will be there!
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categories baking, local, pie
tags apple, bella eats pie month, c'ville, carter mountain, cheddar, pie

a distant memory

Andrea

Last week, the lovely Whitney of Whitney in Chicago made granola.  I commented on her blog that it looked delicious, to which she responded "let me send you some!".  Yes please!  It arrived at the end of last week and was enjoyed as cereal with soy milk, on top of greek yogurt and, most commonly, by the handful while staring into my pantry trying to decide what to make for dinner.  That was my favorite way to consume it.  It is chock-full of pistachios and cranberries, along with almonds and coconut flakes.  Delicious.  Thank you Whitney! granola-6 Granola is one of those grocery store items that I hate to buy.  It is somewhat expensive and every time I pick up a box or scoop some into a bulk bag I think to myself  "I should just make my own!"  My good friend Beth sent Brian (my hubb) and I a batch for Christmas which was consumed quickly and similarly to Whitney's.  Since then I've had granola on my to-make list, and the arrival of Whitney's package secured its spot at the very top of that list. granola-1 As I've written before, its spring cleaning time.  I've been working through the containers of dried fruits and nuts in my pantry, cleaning out items that have been stored for far too many months to make room for new purchases.  Granola seemed like the perfect way to use up the small quantities of miscellaneous dried goods that I had left.  I dug around and found currants, cranberries, apples and pineapple along with walnuts, pumpkin seeds and a small amount of finely shredded unsweetened coconut.  granola-2 As I gathered my ingredients I eagerly pulled up Whitney's recipe to make sure I had what I needed for the granola base.  One item on the list stirred a recent memory of a white, flour-like substance that I had been storing in a small gladware container.  It had been in the pantry for months and I had been trying to remember what it was.  I knew that I had opened a box of something, used a good portion of it and stored the remainder in this container for future use.  The only problem?  I hadn't labeled the container, and I had no idea what the substance was.  Just last week, during my initial cleaning out of the pantry I had stumbled upon it and, exasperated that I coudn't remember what it was, I threw it out.  Now I remembered.  Powdered milk.  And, of course, Whitney's recipe called for it.  And I, the non-labeler, had none. granola-3 I quickly decided that powdered milk must not be an absolutely necessary ingredient in granola.  My reasoning?  Everybody loves granola, including Vegans. And a granola that contained powdered milk would not be vegan so powdered milk must not be necessary.  This means that honey must not be absolutely necessary either but I chose to keep it in, because I do love honey.   For my kitchen sink granola (or should I say pantry shelf granola?) I decided to hop over to The Kitchen Sink, remembering that I had seen Kristin feature granola a few times on her blog.  And her recipe didn't require powdered milk.  Ding ding!   I modified the mix to include the items I had on hand, but the base recipe is the same.  And it is delicious.  Store-bought granola?  A distant memory. granola-4

Mixed Fruit Granola

recipe modified from the kitchen sink Ingredients:
  • 3-1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups mixed dried fruit (I used cranberries, currants, apples and pineapple)
Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375*.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.  In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the dried fruit.  Stir well to incorporate.
  2. Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on how golden you like it (I baked mine for 20 minutes).  Stir every 10 minutes.
  3. Remove the granola from the oven and cool completely, in its pan on a wire rack.  Once the granola is cool mix in the dried fruit.
granola-5

In the Blog World:

Wiggs of The Beholder is hosting a fabulously fun contest!  Please check it out, and hang out for awhile to read her blog.  She is hilarious, and is going to give me swimmer abs by summertime.  I shall be forever grateful.  :) Jenn of Eating Bender just had her 1 year Blogiversary, and to celebrate is hosting a fun giveaway!  Congratulations Jenn! HangryPants is giving away a Lexan Healthy Juicer!  Fun!!! Have you been reading Kath's posts about her trip to Africa?  Amazing!

Happy Wednesday!

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categories baking, breakfast
tags apple, cranberry, currant, dried fruit, gifts, granola, oats, pineapple, walnuts

a sweet potato kind of day

Andrea

You're going to say it isn't possible...but it is.  I found another use for the cranberry ketchup.  :)  Today at work I was fretting a bit about the fact that the batch of cranberry ketchup (CK) I made last month is nearing its 4-week birthday.  Now I don't know for sure that it will go bad on its 28th day in existence, but that was the rough estimate I was given when I asked sweet Erin of Care to Eat for the recipe, and I didn't want to take any chances of wasting a single drop.  I was also thinking about baking because, well, I think about baking a lot.  The two thoughts eventually converged and I began to think about ways I could incorporate the CK into a baked good other than simply smearing it across the top (which is an excellent way to use it, don't get me wrong).   090112-bread-6 I've loved the different swirl breads I've seen pop up over the holidays, but have never attempted one myself.  I thought about banana bread with a cranberry swirl...yummy for sure, but I had no overly ripe bananas on my counter.  Cinnamon bread with a cranberry swirl?  I couldn't find or come up with a plain cinnamon bread recipe to modify.  Sweet potato bread with a cranberry swirl?  Now we're talking, I just happened to have a baked sweet potato sitting on the top shelf of my fridge.  But wait...Sweet Potato Apple Bread with a Cranberry Swirl?  Ding Ding Ding! 090112-bread-11 090112-bread-2 I started with the recipe I came up with for BSI: SWEET POTATO a couple of months ago.  This batter is a bit thicker than typical bread or cake batters, so I wasn't really sure how to incorporate the cranberry swirl in.  The hubb helped me wing it...we just cut 6 slots in the top of the bread batter in the short direction of the pan, then pulled a knife across the long direction.  As you can see, it looked like a big mess.  At this point I wasn't sure what I was going to get after it spent 50 minutes in the oven.  I'm still a very novice baker and am definitely learning by doing, or actually learning by taking plenty of chances that often result in big messes. 090112-bread-3 I was pleasantly surprised when I peaked in the oven after 45 minutes and all seemed well.  And the smell...oh. my. goodness.  It took me right back to the holidays.  I gave the bread an additional 5 minutes to set up then pulled it, placing it on a rack in the pan to cool for 10 minutes.  It fell a bit after sitting, I'm sure the cranberry goo contracted as it cooled and lost air bubbles, causing the bread to cave in a bit.  I was absolutely terrified to flip the pan and release the loaf. 090112-bread-4 Another pleasant surprise...it released perfectly. 090112-bread-5 After letting the loaf cool on the rack without its pan for 40 minutes, I couldn't resist slicing it to see how successful our swirling method had been. 090112-bread-7 I wouldn't call it a swirl, per se, but the CK added a lovely touch to the sweet potato apple bread, both visually and orally.  I will DEFINITELY be making this recipe every year, along with the cranberry ketchup.  :) 090112-bread-8 Sweet Potato Apple Bread with a Cranberry Swirl Ingredients:
  • 1 medium baked sweet potato, mashed (about 1-1/2 cups) 
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp apple sauce
  • zest from 1 orange
  • 1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (pink lady, granny smith, etc.) 
  • 1-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup of cranberry ketchup* or other cranberry preserves
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350*.  In a small bowl, mash the potato and add the brown sugar, applesauce, orange zest and egg.  Mix well.
  2. Add the chopped apple to the wet mixture.
  3. In a larger bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently fold together.
  5. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.  Smooth top of batter, than cut 1/2-inch deep slits in batter across short direction of pan.  Pour cranberry ketchup of preserves into slits, then drag a knife across long direction of pan to pull preserves through batter.  Do not overwork.
  6. Bake for 50-55 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
*  If you would like the recipe for cranberry ketchup, please send me an email.  The recipe is directly from a cookbook and I am not comfortable with publishing it on the blog.  Thanks!  Oh!  The hubb and I did have dinner tonight too.  And it was a lovely dinner, it just got overshadowed by dessert as so many great meals do (in my world anyway). Dinner:  Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Veggies.  It doesn't need much of an explanation, the pictures speak for themselves.  Although I do want to say that the tenderloins are from our favorite local pig farmer, Babes In The Wood.  So so so good. 090112-d1 090112-d2 090112-d3 I hope you all had a fabulous Monday!
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categories baking, dinner
tags apple, bread, cranberry, roasted pork, roasted veggies, sweet potato

cranberry apple holiday pie

Andrea

Hello my lovelies!  Today has been a whirlwind, and my eats are definitely not worth even mentioning as they were all eaten in a rush between making much more interesting things in the kitchen.  I'm rushing off to a holiday party tonight at my boss's house, for which I am bringing one of my favorite pie recipes.  I thought I would share it with you this evening, and hope to post the other fun holiday treats that the hubb and I made today, tomorrow.  Have a lovely evening! Cranberry Apple Holiday Pie This is the first pie recipe I ever made on my own.  I started with a recipe I found in an old cookbook of mine that I don't even have anymore, but have modified it over the years.  Its the perfect holiday pie and always a big hit. 081220-pie-5 081220-pie-6 081220-pie-8   Cranberry Apple Pie Ingredients for the filling:
  • zest of one orange
  • 3 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 2 large, tart apples
  • 1 cup of cranberries
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
for the crust:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 10 tbsp butter, cut in pieces
  • 1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp water for egg wash
  • turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Steps
  1. For the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl.  Add the butter and cut-in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
  2. With a fork, stir in just enough iced water to bind the dough.
  3. Gather into two equal balls, wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 400*F.
  5. Combine orange zest and juice in a medium-sized bowl.  Peel and core the apples and add them to the orange mixture.  Stir in the cranberries, raisins, sugar and tapioca.
  6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one ball of dough about 1/8 inch thick.  Transfer to a 9 inch pie tin and trim the edge.  Spoon the cranberry apple mixture into the shell.
  7. Roll out the remaining ball of dough to a circle about 11 inches in diameter.  With a serrated pastry wheel, cut the dough into 10 strips 3/4” wide.  Lay five of the strips across the pie in one direction, and lace the other five strips perpendicularly to the first five.
  8. Brush the top of the dough strips with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
  9. Bake for 45 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
081220-pie-1 081220-pie-2 081220-pie-3 081220-pie-4 081220-pie-7 What is your favorite holiday dessert?
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categories baking
tags apple, cranberry, golden raisins, pie

nana's apple crisp

Andrea

This is one of Brian's all-time favorite desserts, made for him by his grandmother whenever we see her.  A few year's ago, Nana gave Brian a book of all of his favorite recipes of hers so that we can make them whenever we want.  This one is requested every fall... I made a couple of minor adjustments (turbinado in place of refined sugar, butter in place of oleo, WW pastry flour in place of white) but for the most part stuck with the original recipe.  I'd love to figure out a good substitution for the butter/oleo in the topping to make it a bit healthier, so if anybody has any suggestions please let me know! a9 Nana's Apple Crisp (with a few Bella Eats modifications...): Ingredients: Apples
  • 14 medium, tart apples
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Crisp
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1-1/2 cups turbinado sugar
  • 1-1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup melted butter
Steps:
  1. Preheat oven to 375*.
  2. Peel, core and slice apples.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss.  Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples, toss to coat.
  3. In separate bowl combine all crisp ingredients.
  4. Stir apple mixture and pour into ungreased 9x13 pan.  Spread topping mixture over top and "pat down".
  5. Reduce oven heat to 350* and bake for 45 minutes.
a1 a2 a32 a4 a5 a61 a8
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categories baking, dessert
tags apple, oats, turbinado

fabulous friday

Andrea

Good morning bloggies!!!  It is a gorgeous day outside...freezing, but beautiful!  Its making me so happy right now to look out the window at the pretty blue sky.  We've had a couple of gray days here this week so this is a very welcome change.  I am in a fabulous mood!  :) Today is an exercise rest day for me...Yay!  Not that my workouts are terribly intense during the week (at least until I increase my mileage a bit more) but I've worked out every day since last Friday and decided that after yesterday's big activity day, my body deserves a break.  Plus, tomorrow is my long run with the training group, so its good to have a rest day before that. A question for all of you spinning ladies out there...when does your bootie get used to  that hard bike seat?!?!?  I woke up so sore this morning, not in my legs or gluts, but as my yoga instructor says, my "sit bones"!!!  Ouch.  Good thing my office chair is cushy! So, on to food.  This will be a quick post because Brian and I were in a rush this morning and decided to have lunch out today instead of packing something to bring to work.  I'll try and post after lunch, but if I can't then I will definitely include lunch in my dinner post tonight. Breakfast: 1 Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin english muffin smeared with 1.5 tbsp almond butter and 1/2 an apple.  The rest of the apple on the side. 081121-b1 This was a very tasty combination, I'm quite happy right now after finishing it.  :) I got the sweetest message yesterday from Elise at Elise's Eats!  She has just started her own blog after following food blogs for some time now.  It looks great so far, and I'm looking forward to watching it develop!  Welcome, Elise! I hope you all have a Fabulous Friday and that your weather is as beautiful as mine, only warmer!  :)
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categories breakfast
tags almond butter, apple, ezekiel muffin

banana apple bread

Andrea

banana-3 Last night I tried out a new recipe. My inspiration came from several sources, the first being Jenna at Eat,Live,Run with her whole wheat banana bread recipe. I made this bread a couple of weeks ago with one alteration inspired by my mother's banana bread recipe, which uses a peeled, chopped granny smith apple. I was really happy with how it turned out, and decided to continue to make a few changes to make it my own. Banana Apple Bread Yields 1 loaf—12 slices 106 calories, .4g fat, 0g sat fat, 24.6g carbs, 13.2g sugar, 2.2g protein per slice Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp apple sauce
  • 2 very ripe bananas
  • 1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (pink lady, granny smith, etc.)
Steps:
  1. Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mash the bananas and add the brown sugar, applesauce and egg. Mix well.
  2. Add the chopped apple to the wet mixture.
  3. In a larger bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently fold together.
  4. Pour batter into prepared nonstick (or greased) loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes.
  5. Let cool for 5 minutes in the loaf pan then release and cool on rack for 10 more minutes before slicing.
081113-banana-1 081113-banana-2 081113-banana-4 I am extremely happy with the results!!!  The bread is super-moist, and the chunks of apple are wonderful little surprises.  The white whole wheat flour made it fluffier than the whole wheat flour version (for a great explanation of WWWF see sweetandnatural).  Yay baking!!!  
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categories baking
tags apple, banana, bread