NaBloPoMo Day 6: Apples

Apple season is here! Apples are a year-round staple for us but they really shine in Fall. Our high school advertised a fundraiser for locally grown apples, and I bought and paid for a half-bushel of the Gala variety- a crisp and mild snacking apple. The day the apples were delivered to my front door, I looked at the gigantic box (50 lbs) and thought, no way that's a half-bushel. I emailed the high schooler and said, hey, I think you accidentally gave me someone else's order, I did not order a whole bushel. No mistake, the reply came, we had extra apples so we gave you more than you ordered. 

How kind!! I started handing out grocery bags of apples to neighbors, co-workers. You get an apple, and you get an apple. And we still have a fridge full of apples. Luckily, they last for weeks and months, and all will be enjoyed. Here are a couple of ways I used my apple bounty.

Some days ago, we made Starbucks knock-off drinks at home (a post for another day) so I had toffee bits on hand and caramel sauce in the fridge. 

For a football-watching potluck at a neighbor's house, I made caramel apple slices by simply drizzling caramel sauce on apple slices and sprinkling them with Heath toffee bits. It was a hit. 

 

I had signed up to contribute a dessert for a teacher appreciation dinner, and remembered the apple bundt cake that I posted in Nov 2015. (I was also reminded of the wonderful Impossible pumpkin pie which I should make this month, on or around Thanksgiving.) I ended up making the same recipe again for a neighborhood potluck on Halloween.

The apple bundt cake recipe is here and it comes together so simply. The best part is that is a beloved family recipe that someone shared so kindly. 

Apple Bundt Cake (adapted from Epicurious)

1. Set out 4 eggs to come to room temp.
2. Preheat oven to 350F 
3. First, I made "cake goop" by mixing 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, and 2 tbsp. AP flour in a small container. I brushed the goop thinly and evenly all over the inside of the bundt pan. As far as I am concerned, this is the most important step in getting the cake to release beautifully from the pan. 
4. Apple mix: Wash and chop 4 apples into medium pieces. Toss with cinnamon and 2 tbsp. sugar and set aside.
5. Dry mix: In a bowl, whisk together 3 cups AP flour, 3.5 tsp. baking powder and 0.5 tsp. salt.
6. Wet mix: In a big bowl, whisk together 4 eggs, 1 cup veg oil, 1/4 cup any kind of milk or orange or apple juice, 1.5 cups sugar, vanilla extract and one of these flavorings: fiori di sicilia extract OR cardamom OR orange zest.
7. Mix dry mix into wet mix to make a thick batter.
8. Spoon half the batter into the bundt pan. Cover with the apple mix. Top with the rest of the batter.
9. Bake for 50 minutes or more, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes clean or with crumbs. 
10. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then run a knife around edges, and turn the cake out onto a cooling rack. 

This cake has an outstanding crumb. It is my ideal of what a cake texture should be like. The inside is soft and the crust is golden and chewy. The cake can be cut into perfect slices.

Tomorrow: another recipe with apples, but not a dessert.