A buckle is basically a coffee cake with way more fruit than you’d put in an actual cake. Sometimes you’ll see recipes for fruit buckles with a serious crumble topping plus a glaze. But you know my style for desserts is to keep the sugar at a minimum and not go overboard. I am crazy for the combo of stone fruit and berries, which is perfecto for summer. But if you want to change up the fruit, by all means go for it!Continue reading
I love the drama of a Pavlova, which is a meringue cake that is crisp on the outside and soft and marshmallow-like on the inside. I did something a little different here which is to reduce to the sugar to as little as possible without the pavlova being a puddle of egg whites! Sugar provides structure for the egg whites, so I took it down as far as I could. Unfortunately, I would not recommend making meringue when the weather is humid. It just never really dries out properly. There are a lot of tips to ensure success with this recipe. Please read through at least once before commencing. I personally like topping the meringue with fresh seasonal fruit and anything not overly sweet. And you’ll notice I add a little Greek yogurt to my whipped cream for a little tang! Continue reading
My friend Sarah brought a pear frangipane tart to my house for dinner one day and I initially was not wowed by the look of it. Until I tried it. And then I became obsessed with recreating it at home because it was one of the most delicious desserts I had ever tasted (and you know how much I love chocolate!) I successfully came up with a recipe that was just as tasty, almondy, not too sweet, and a hit with everyone who tasted it!Continue reading
Just when I think I can’t come up with another awesome pumpkin dessert recipe, I do! This is a pumpkin pie meets a crumble meets a gingersnap cookie! What’s not to love? And it’s so easy, has make-ahead written all over it and can be adaptable. There are many twists on this recipe including a graham cracker crust or a chocolate cookie crust and you can omit the crumble topping if you want to keep this simple.Continue reading
Welcome in the Fall season with this delicious Apple Spice Cake! With fresh apples, the perfect blend of warming spices, and pantry baking staples, this perfect cake is packed with Fall flavor, and will be one of your favorite recipes in no time!
When September rolls around, I drop berries and stone fruits like a hot potato and move right on over to apples and pears for fruit desserts. I taught this Olive Oil Apple Spice Cake last year and then proceeded to make it for the Jewish holidays and every time we had people over in the Fall. Then all my friends who ate it asked me for the recipe and I told them, “Sorry, it’s exclusive to my online cooking class!” Little did they know I tweaked an Ottolenghi recipe. LOL. This cake reminds me of a better version of the Silver Palate chunky apple walnut cake that I made 100 times when I was in college.
If you’re looking for more apple recipes, try these: Apple Amaretti Crisp, Apple Fritter Skillet Cake, or Grain-Free Apple Tarte Tartin.
This recipe calls for very simple ingredients– many of which you may already have on hand. Please see recipe substitutions in the recipe card below to make a gluten-free version or to swap ingredients if you don’t have them.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 9-inch round springform pan with olive oil and line the bottom with unbleached parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Place the raisins and 2/3 cup of the water in a medium saucepan. Simmer over low heat until the raisins are plump, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain any remaining water in the pan. Set aside.
Step 3: Whisk the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Peel and core the apples, then cut into 1-inch pieces and set aside in a separate bowl. The apples may start to oxidize if you do this in advance, but it’s ok because you won’t be able to tell when the cake bakes.
Step 4: Place the sugar, olive oil, whole eggs, vanilla and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is light in color and has thickened a little. You don’t want to beat at such a high speed since it can create air bubbles. Remove the bowl from the machine and, using a large spatula, add the dry ingredients and gently fold to combine. Add the apples, raisins, and the remaining 1/3 cup water (or equivalent amount of calvados, if using) and stir to combine.
Step 5: Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk at high speed until soft peaks form. This will take a little longer if you’re using a stand mixer due to the small amount of egg whites. Gently fold in the egg whites into the batter, then transfer the cake batter into the prepared pan.
Step 6: Smooth the top with a spatula and bake in your preheated oven for 40 – 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Run a thin knife along the perimeter of the cake, unmold and transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 7: Once cool, you can dust with a little powdered sugar if desired.
You can slice and serve this easy apple cake by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or salted caramel ice cream!) or a dollop of whipped cream. Lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.
Store your cake in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep for 2 days at room temperature or 5-6 days in the refrigerator.
For longer storage, let the apple spice cake cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let it sit for a bit at room temperature before serving!
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The last school the kids attended allowed cupcakes with 2-inch high thick blue frosting to be handed out at 10:30 am on your child’s birthday. And if I do the math, that was about two birthdays every month. The school also made a big deal about celebrating holidays with food, so my child went to school on Halloween and loaded up on candy even before she started trick or treating. Then there were the ubiquitous bake sales and Friday candy, soda and pizza sales to raise money for whatever. Nevermind the disruption to classroom teaching and the disastrous effect on learning, but what a poor message this sends to the children about food and how much we care about their health.
The public schools my kids attend now have a policy against any food (even if you wanted to bring in kale chips) being sent in for birthdays and holidays. If your child is in elementary school and you would like to mark his birthday, feel free to buy a book to donate to his classroom and volunteer 15 minutes to read it to the students. All the kids will also give him a big card that says all the things they like about him. Is this freakin’ awesome or what? Just a happy birthday with no sugar rush before noon. No bouncing off the walls when he gets home. No pressure to be the mom who brings in the treat with the most sugar or artificially colored candy. I always lost that one.
I think 99% of children get more than an appropriate amount of sweets and treats outside of school that we don’t need to give it to them in places where it doesn’t belong. Don’t even get me started on snack after soccer games. BUT, I am of course a reasonable, fun mom who encourages eating a wide variety of wholesome foods with the occasional treat. Actually, I allow treats more often than I’d like to, but the message is that those are not foods to be eaten more than once a day, preferably only once or twice a week. But when a special holiday like Valentine’s Day rolls around, I am the first one in the kitchen baking up something special for my darlings.
I discovered these flourless chocolate cakes from the True Food Kitchen website. True Food Kitchen is a chain of healthful restaurants started by Dr. Andrew Weil. It’s really the kind of food I love — natural, unprocessed, flavorful, but not extreme in one way or another. I happen to love chocolate and I drank Dr. Weil’s Kool Aid, so to speak, and believe all the wonderful benefits about dark chocolate’s antioxidant benefits and high mineral content. It also happens to be a natural aphrodisiac. Hmmmm…… Before you get any ideas, M&M’s don’t fall in the same category, sorry! I also try to limit everyone’s consumption of gluten to just a wee bit, so these mini cakes looked perfect since they are flourless. You figured that out on your own, I’m sure.
These are the bomb, no joke. I have never served them to anyone who didn’t think so, even Mr. Picky who could probably down all six of them if I let him. They’re kind of a cross between a rich and dense cake and a souffle. The cakes have a really nice chocolate flavor without making you tired of chocolate after two bites. I think they’re just great plain, but everyone loves the raspberry sauce I make to go along with them. The raspberry sauce is a great instant sauce to know how to make regardless of the cake. It’s terrific poured over oodles things like yogurt or ice cream, French toast or pancakes, even your favorite porridge. Did you catch that amazing nut butter and banana French toast I posted on facebook? You’re not my facebook fan? Bummer. You should be! This sauce would be awesome with that. How about this, let’s say you don’t have time to whip up these chocolate cakes for dessert on Valentine’s Day. Make the raspberry sauce the day before and serve it with store bought ice cream or pancakes just to have something a little special.
For lots more fun Valentine’s ideas, check out this post from last year. You won’t believe all the things you can do with a heart-shaped cookie cutter!
I am teaching Apple Pie in my Thanksgiving classes this month and I thought I really should share the recipe with you too, my dear readers. Perfect for Thanksgiving or if you’re hunkered down watching Election Day coverage tonight. What is more American, classic and delicious in the fall than a homemade apple pie? It just oozes love and hugs, don’t you think? My boyfriend in college was so smitten when I made him an apple pie, I think it’s one of the reasons he asked me to marry him! Still works!
In addition to pumpkin pie, apple has been on my Thanksgiving table every year since I’ve been married. I make it the way I like it, not too sweet and not overly spiced, so you really taste the apples. At this time of year, there are so many varieties of apples with different flavors and textures, and everyone has his or her favorite. But I think the secret to the best apple pie is using a few different types of apples. When I make apple pie, I like to choose a sweet, a tart and a soft variety. The flavors are more complex and texture is fabulous.
Do plan ahead when making any pie, especially if you are making the crust from scratch, which I definitely think you should! Pies take a good hour to bake and I think they benefit from cooling a bit out of the oven. The juices settle and thicken up and I think apple pie tastes better warm, rather than piping hot, but I know some of you will disagree.
If you are looking to do some of the work in advance, you can make your crust a few days ahead and refrigerate it or a few months ahead and freeze it. You can also combine your dry ingredients for the pie filling ahead and keep the mixture in a covered container in the pantry. Unfortunately, you will need to peel and slice your apples just before filling your pie, but it’s a fun activity to do at the kitchen table with your child or friends. I bake two apple pies on Thanksgiving morning, but I make sure they are out of the oven before the turkey needs to go in. When the girls were younger, they would always help peel and slice the apples while we watched the Macy’s parade on television. It’s a lovely memory of time together in the kitchen, but it’s just a memory since the girls haven’t woken up before 11:00 am on Thanksgiving in a few years. Although I’ll admit, the smiles on their sleepy faces as I pull those pies out of the oven is still just as precious.
MAKES 1 9-INCH DOUBLE-CRUST PIE
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (this gets used in the filling) + more for dusting countertop
1 large egg yolk
1 Tablespoon heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk
1 pound tart apples, such as Granny Smith
1 pound sweet apples, such as Fuji
1 pound soft apples, such as Golden Delicious
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup organic cane sugar + extra for optional sprinkling on crust
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
I am a total sucker for seasonal fruit desserts, and pies are no exception, especially in the summer and fall. But we know each other well enough by now to know that I’m not a big dessert pusher. I think overdoing sugar and refined foods like white flour can really compromise your health. But, during the holidays when the apples, pears and pumpkins are at their peak, I rationalize it all by adding a hefty dose of love to my pies!
What is nice about seasonal fruit desserts is that the fruit should be naturally sweet enough that we don’t need to add too many sweeteners to make them taste fabulous. Typically, I use 4-6 Tablespoons of sweetener in a whole pie which can serve 8-10 people, and I don’t think that’s over the top. Many cakes call for 2 cups of sugar just to provide you with a reference point.
Looking on the bright side, I love how “homemade” pies are. The fruit is peeled and cut by hand, and if you make your own crust, that too is rolled and shaped by your loving hands. In fact, I think pies look better and more special when they have that imperfect crimping and uneven glaze – a telltale sign that this came out of my kitchen.
Many people have told me that making pie crust looks intimidating. But if you’ve ever made and rolled out cookie dough, it’s actually easier than that! Even though I have a pie recipe posted on the site, I thought it would be helpful to include a step-by-step post for how to make pie crust. Here are a few tips to help:
Although I have made many pies in my day, I still love learning how to do things better. Please share your favorite tips and tricks for making pie crusts and pies. I’d also love to hear what desserts you are all making for Thanksgiving!!!!
