My Favorite Apple Pie

My last post on the blog was published way back on November 7. And today I'm republishing an existing recipe...so much for coming back, right? I can honestly say that I've had every intention of publishing something new but for the last few weeks, I've literally had no time to do much of anything. This entire moving out process was draining and exhausting...I mean, I went to IKEA not once, not twice, but three times last week. I love IKEA and their cinnamon buns and froyo and Swedish meatballs as much as the next guy, but three times in a week is just too much. When I wasn't at IKEA, I was packing, at Target, at Home Goods, at the Home Depot, basically anywhere and everywhere that wasn't my computer. I actually had a whole new recipe and photos that I could have published, but I didn't have spare second to even sit down and select which photos I wanted to publish, let alone edit them, type up a recipe, and write a reasonably coherent and mildly interesting blog post. And to be honest, I'm so pooped from the move that I'm still not sure I'm able to do so. I'm sure this isn't my most interesting post, but I think that all I need to get back in the game, now that I'm more or less settled into my amazing ew apartment, is a few days of rest and a whole lot of Thanksgiving in my belly. 

Since the big say is only two days away, I figured I would bring back an old recipe while I'm still recovering from moving my entire life up to my fourth floor walk up apartment. A really good, classic, no-frills apple pie is, in my opinion, the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert. I personally can't stand pumpkin pie (believe me, I've really tried hard just getting to a point where I think it's ok), so I consider apple pie to be the Thanksgiving dessert to end all Thanksgiving desserts, and this version is especially delicious. 

Apple Cider Bundt Cake

Hello again! I'm back! Really and truly. I'm back to blogging and I'm crazy excited about it. My "few weeks" of time off turned into a few months, and even though my vacation extended much longer than I had anticipated, I regret none of it. Taking some time off for myself, to sleep in on weekends, set my camera down, step away from all the pressure I was putting on myself was the best decision I could have made. I had a chance to enjoy my summer (I went to the beach! I completed two Spartan Races!! I went to Sicily!!!) and recharge my batteries. It only took a few weeks for me to realize that I really did miss this working on this space that I had created for myself.  And even though it took me a few months to feel like I was ready to get back into blogging, now that I have, all I can say is that it feels awesome.  I’m still going to work on making my blogging feel as natural as possible, so I don’t see myself getting back to the regimented schedule I forced on myself before.  While I don’t know how often I'll actually end up posting, all I know that I’m going to make sure I have a good time working on each and every post.  Because this is supposed to be my happy place, right? 

Anyway. Now that the formalities are over and we’re back in action, let’s talk cake. Because really, that’s what we’re all here for. 

This cake is the result of a failed attempt at apple picking. I’ve wanted to go apple picking ever since I learned such a thing existed, but for one reason over another, fall came and went every year and I never made it to an orchard. Last weekend was different though. My parents, sister, and I packed some snacks, got in the car, and drove all the way to the North Fork. We were ready. We made it to the orchard, and the parking lot was full of cars and people of all ages.  As we walked closer to the apple-studded trees, we saw a sign propped up against the fence that read “CLOSED.” We assumed we had just gotten to the orchard too early and that we’d be able to start picking our bushels of apples in a few minutes—but we were wrong. It turns out that the picking season had ended the weekend before, and the few apples that remained on the trees were reserved for picking during the week, so we made the best of the situation.  We drank some cider and explored the small neighboring farms, and I bought an apple pie (a really, really delicious pie) and a few jars of fruit preserves. It was fun but bittersweet nevertheless—after all, we drove almost two hours to get to the orchard, and left with zero freshly picked apples. 

Aside from getting an obvious lesson for next year (call BEFORE leaving to drive to the orchard), we got to pick up a gallon of some incredible spiced cider and enjoy a few cider donuts, still hot from the fryer.  I had been planning on baking up some kind of delicious apple-filled quick bread (perhaps swirled with salted caramel??) as my welcome-back post, but given that all I had was some cider, my plans had to change. I still wanted to go in the direction of a simple cake, because this is me we’re talking about and there’s nothing I love more. When I came across this recipe for an apple cider cake covered in cinnamon sugar, I was sold. I didn’t need to think twice about the recipe because it essentially makes a giant cider donut, and who needs to think twice about that?

The recipe starts off by boiling a roughly chopped apple (a supermarket Granny Smith, in my case) in spiced cider. Once the apple is soft and the cider has reduced, it all gets pureed until smooth. This, along with warming spices like cinnamon and cloves, are what give this cake its quintessential fall flavor. After the apple puree is made, the recipe is straightforward. Dry ingredients are whisked, then added to creamed butter and sugar, along with the apple puree and milk. A 45-minute trip in the oven and a brushing of melted butter later, the entire cake is sprinkled with cinnamon-scented sugar. At this point, you just have to resist giant cake donut sitting in your kitchen making it smell all kinds of delicious. Once it’s cooled completely, simply slice into it and enjoy. The wait will be worth it! 

Apple Cider Bundt Cake
recipe adapted slightly from Serious Eats

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 1/2 cups spiced apple cider
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the Topping

6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Add the cider and chopped apple to a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring the cider to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until half of the cider has been absorbed and the apples can be smashed easily with a fork, about 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Pour the mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until pureed and smooth.  Measure out 1 cup of the cider mixture and add to a large measuring cup, along with the milk and vanilla extract. Stir with a fork to combine.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with non-stick spray  and dust all over with flour, tapping out the excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.

In the bowl of standard electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add in the oil, and beat to combine, about 1 minute.

Lower the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the cider-milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix only until incorporated and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  After the last addition, increase the speed to medium and beat for about 20 seconds to fully combine.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer the cake to cooling rack set over a baking sheet and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert directly onto the cooling rack.

While the cake is still warm, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon to make the topping. Brush the warm cake with melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, using your fingers to rub it onto the sides.

Let the cake cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing. Enjoy!

Makes 1 Bundt cake

Apple Bran Muffins

I'm not going to rant about the weather.  I'm not going to rant about the weather. I'm not going to rant about the weather...too much.  It's cold cold cold in New York right now, the kind of cold that hits you hard and burns your face and freezes your legs in the time it takes to walk from your front door to your car. It's rough. It's brutal.  It's actually....not that bad?  I bought a heavy parka (heavier than anyone in NYC needs, anyway) at the tail end of last winter and only got to use it a few times before the weather warmed up.  When I saw how low the temperatures were going to get this week, I displayed the typical outward reaction of "UGH, NO," but secretly, I was very excited about getting the chance to wear my parka all week long.  It's the puffiest, least-fashionable piece of clothing I own, but also the warmest.  It's the only thing getting me through this week's bitter cold, but as crazy as it sounds, I actually like the cold (a little).  I mean, you can't feel cozy unless it's cold outside, right?  

Baking is one of my favorite things to do when it gets cold outside.  It can easily take all day (if I'm feeling ambitious), and warms up the house at the same time. Cozying up to something that's been freshly baked and has perfumed the entire house is my idea of a morning, afternoon, and day well spent.  Last weekend, my baked good of choice to cozy on up inside was a bran muffin.  I absolutely love bran muffins. Don't know why, but they've always been one of my favorites, even as a little kid.  Now I love them for their wholesome quality, depth of flavor, and wonderful texture.  I like them when they're not too sweet and have just a hint of fruit.  These apple bran muffins are my perfect bran muffins.

Apple Cider Soda Float

My schedule has been a little out of whack lately.  I had been hoping to share this quick and easy drink over the weekend, but my timing has been off these past couple of days.  I've had busy days at work, tough days at the gym, and one very exciting weekend that I needed to prepare for.  I was in Philadelphia all weekend, and it threw my normal weekend routine off.  Not that I minded though, because I love Philly, and I was in town for a Weezer concert (which was seriously, pretty darn amazing), and I got to eat some delicious food.  I had planned on sharing this post on Friday or Saturday, but I just didn't get around to actually typing it up. I think being a few days late on my post isn't the worst though...at least we're starting off the week with something simple and delicious!

This apple cider soda float came out of having an excess of cider in my fridge.  Cider is one of my favorite things about the fall, and I love using it in all kinds of ways.  I love it in baked goods as much as I love drinking it straight, cold or hot.  It's comforting and got such a great warmth to it.  I thought it would be fun to use cider in a completely new way though, in the form of a soda float. 

Gluten-Free Breakfast Apple Crisp

I wish I could say that I went apple picking and picked all the apples used in this crisp myself, but that would be a lie.  A big, big lie.  It would also be a lie if I said that I loved apple picking, because I've never actually gone.  It's unfortunate, because I'm sure I would love it, and also because there are lots of great apple farms on Long Island's North Fork.  I've made it my mission to go, and hopefully I'll get to go once before the season is over.  I'm ready to wear my flannel and pick as many apples as I can, and buy a good amount of cider and homemade preserves.  I have my plans all set, and now it's just a matter of actually, you know, doing them. It'll happen.  Until it happens, though, I've gone ahead and purchased the best apples I could find over the weekend, and made some apple treats.  I had a craving for all things apple, and just because I didn't have freshly picked apples didn't mean that I would leave that craving unfulfilled. 

I wanted to start off my apple baking with something that was simple and unfussy.  I wanted pie, but it required a little bit more effort than I was feeling over the weekend.  I decided to leave apple pie on my to-do list for another weekend, and taking the warm, bubbly apple cue from the pie, I decided to make a crisp instead. Juicy, sweetened apples with a buttery and crunchy topping...that's just what I needed!

Apple Walnut Raisin Cinnamon Rolls

Today's Breakfast Week recipe is an extra special one.  As if Apple Walnut Raisin Cinnamon Rolls don't sound good enough on their own (and they definitely are, believe me), today also happens to be my little sister's birthday!  Breakfast Week, like I mentioned on Monday, was a sort of collaborative venture between the two of us, and the reason for that is simple.  My sister is literally obsessed with breakfast and brunch foods.  Brunch is her favorite meal of the day, and if it were possible to have brunch during the week instead of just during the weekends, I'm sure she would go for that without hesitation.  I'm pretty sure I would do the same, and honestly, who wouldn't?  What's not to love about brunch and special weekend breakfasts?  They help break away from the monotony of the work week and our normal hectic schedules.  I love nothing more than whipping up a stack of huge fluffy pancakes on a Saturday morning, and not just because I love pancakes, but because I can actually sit down and enjoy them, rather than scarfing down some eggs and juice in five minutes like I normally do during the week.  So, in honor of my sister's birthday, this week has been an extended celebration of breakfast and brunch and easy, carefree weekends.

While I love more elaborate weekend breakfasts, I typically gravitate towards easy things to prepare like pancakes and waffles, because they're usually pretty quick to assemble and don't require much planning.  Every now and then though, I crave something more.  Lately, I've found myself craving homemade cinnamon rolls, something I haven't made in way too long.  I'm pretty sure this craving came about simply from waiting for my train in Penn Station every night after work.  I usually get to Penn about ten minutes or so before my train is scheduled to depart, which means that I need to stand in the station in front of a giant switchboard until the platform for my train is announced.  The giant switchboard is conveniently located in front of a Cinnabon, so I can't help but get enormous whiffs of cinnamon roll deliciousness as I wait for the platform to be announced.  It's true, there are other switchboards I could wait by, but those are also conveniently located by other Cinnabons or Auntie Anne's pretzel shops, so it seems that escaping the cinnamon sugar aroma is completely impossible, a coincidence that I'm sure was planned on purpose.

Apple Cheddar Scones

Well, to say that I'm late on this post is a bit of an understatement.  I share a photo of these ridiculous apple cheddar scones on Sunday, and I don't publish the photos and recipe until FRIDAY?  Jeez, what is wrong with me. I'll be honest and say that this week I've been suffering from a bit of writer's block, some heavy congestion, and an extra heavy case of the sleepies, so just bear with me a bit if this post isn't quite up to my normal standards.  My writing may be falling a bit on the flat end today, but these scones sure are anything but flat (corny line #1).  It's true though.  These scones are perhaps my new favorite recipe, and while I'm a few days late in posting it, I'm just in time for you to add these amazing scones to your list of weekend baking endeavors.  Seriously, these scones are just begging to be made ASAP.

I remember that there used to be a time during which I didn't really know what a scone was.  I mean, I sort of knew what they were, and I knew that things called "scones" existed, but aside from that, I was clueless.  I wasn't sure if they were a type of bread or a biscuit, and it didn't help that scones often came in different shapes, so it was tough to assume which was a "real" scone.  Is a round scone less sconey than a trianglular, wedge shaped scone?  I'd like to think not.  But in any case, while I don't remember what kind of scone I had as my first "real"/"official" scone, I do know that since then, scones have easily become one of my most favorite treats to enjoy.  The fact that making scones from scratch is so simple only adds to their awesomeness.  If you've never made a batch of scones yourself, what are you waiting for?!  You've been missing out if you haven't attempted to make scones yet.  Trust me. 

Mini Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins

Oh hi there!  I feel like I've been lagging behind on my posting again, but life has gotten in the way, as it always does.  Nothing serious has happened, so there's no reason to be alarmed, but just lots of silly things.  Silly things like spending an awesome Saturday afternoon getting lost in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of my all time favorite places ever, only to end the day's adventure with a really, really, really disappointing meal at a Greek restaurant.  It looked promising, as the appetizers that were ordered were so delicious, but I realized when I got my entree that I've actually had better much better food off a food truck (I LOVE food trucks, by the way)...my food was just awful. Then, on Sunday I drove myself into an Italian food coma by eating way too many fried calamari and slices of grandma pizza and other appetizers, in addition to an enormous bowl of prosciutto and shrimp pasta (a bowl so enormous that it could probably have fed two and a half people.  Ok, I obviously didn't eat the whole bowl.  I was hardly able to make a dent in it).  I don't normally follow such excessive means of eating, but this was a birthday celebration, so it felt appropriate.  Following this massive meal came a much needed nap, and then the finale of Breaking Bad, my all time favorite show.  I won't discuss the episode, in order to avoid ruining it for those who haven't seen it yet (...do these people even exist?), but I will say that I am certainly going to be feeling a major void in my Sunday nights from now on.  I'm sure that once The Walking Dead comes back on, I'll feel a little bit better, but only a little bit.  Breaking Bad just cannot be replaced.  Monday was boring and nothing exciting happened.  Then Tuesday, I had jury selection.  Let's just say that it was as dreadful as I thought it would be, the trial itself could have been interesting, but I just got a major headache at the end and wanted to go home.  Fortunately, I wasn't selected and am officially exempt from further jury duty service for the next six years.  Hooray! 

The events I just described aren't major (maybe jury duty is), and I consider them to be somewhat silly excuses for not staying on top of things around here.  The truth is, I really have been a bit busy in more serious respects.  I've been trying to find a full time job (my first "real" job) in an architectural or other creative type of setting, and I'll be perfectly honest and say that it's been toughhh.  I've written more cover letters than I can keep track of, I'm checking my email constantly, and have been working on tweaks for my portfolio in whatever spare moments I have.  The process sucks, and I'm doing my best to keep positive by exercising and baking as often as possible (oh, the irony...) in order to get my mind focused on other things for short periods of time. Fortunately, the new season has arrived, and I've fully embraced the changes that come with it, especially for those changes that will get to take place in my kitchen.  There's a big jug of cider in my fridge, I've already started planning my first ever apple picking expedition, and I've started pulling out all my scarves and sweaters. I'm ready for baking tons of fall goods, despite the unusually warm weather right now (temperatures were near 80 degrees yesterday).  Regardless of the weird weather, my cravings for warm spiced flavors are only growing as the days go by. 

Glazed Apple Cider Doughnuts

Sometimes, I feel like I am doing a disservice to my family and friends (and even myself at times) by baking so many treats like alllll the time, and then having to actually EAT the things I make, and then subsequently forcing other people around me to help me out with the eating bit, since I can't actually eat everything I make. That was a long sentence, but it's ok.  I've also decided that baking large quantities of things, regardless about how healthy (or as it always is in my case, NOT healthy...), is totally ok too.  What I usually do is tell myself that this is a treat, not to worry about it, and that I will just have to go extra-hard during that day's workout.  This is then what I repeat to everyone else that I give baked goods to, and encourage them to do the same. 

Aside from this helpful little advice, I tell myself that making unhealthy treats once in a while is ok, as long as it's done in moderation.  Take these glazed apple cider doughnuts.  The last time I made doughnuts was for my sister's birthday, and that was wayyyy back in March (remember these Birthday Chocolate Glazed-Doughnuts?).  Since that was like SEVEN months ago, I figured enough time had passed that frying up a batch of doughnuts was not only justified, but also necessary.  Leave it to my sister to once again suggest a delicious and doughnut-related idea.  Glazed apple-cider doughnuts were her request, and I once again, had to oblige. Spiced cake doughnuts with an apple cider glaze seemed too delicious to even consider passing up, regardless of how many calories they had or how not-healthy they actually are.

Ok, I'm done trying to rationalize my baking addiction/unhealthy-but-delicious baking habits now.  Let's just be honest with each other now.  Fried doughnuts are bad for you.  Fried doughnuts are also really yummy.  Make them, eat one, and be happy. Yeay!

Spiced Apple Cookies with Vanilla Glaze

Soooo it's officially fall, and I couldn't be happier about it.  There's crisp breezes everywhere you go, the leaves are starting to change color, and the farmer's market that comes to Columbia every Sunday is selling hot apple cider.  It's so nice to not have to think about sweating your face off every time you have to step outside the safety of your air-conditioned home, and instead know that a light seater will suffice in getting you through the day.  The days are getting shorter (making food photography trickier, grr!), but it's ok for now; the days still aren't as short as they are in winter, which is a good thing!  In any case, it can definitely be said that I welcomed the arrival of fall and everything that comes with it with very open arms.  Except for one small thing...

My apartment on campus is FRIGID.

Seriously, frigid is the best word to describe how chilly it is inside my room and everywhere else in the building, really.  It's the strangest thing.  I remember moving in in September, and feeling how unbearably hot it was (my building is on the older side, so while my living accommodations are lovely, there's no AC), so for the first couple of weeks, living back at school was just uncomfortable, because it was just so damn hot in my room! This made for sleepless nights, not only due to the extreme heat in the building, but also because I live facing Broadway, so trying to open the window in hopes of catching even the tiniest breeze only resulted in constant noise at all hours of the night.  Sigh.  There was no weird transition from hot to cold in my building, it was suddenly just FREEZING.  I can't explain why, but I guess that's what I get for hoping for summer to end so that fall could move on in.  Silly karma. 

Apple Dapple Cake

Sometimes, we get in the mood for simple things.  Simplifying life seems to always be a priority for somebody; you always hear about people trying to de-clutter their kitchen cabinets, or get rid of clothes they no longer use, and things like that.  I'm a baker, so for me, simplifying my life means baking something, anything really, without having to use an electric mixer, or without having to dirty up half my kitchen in order to prepare one single thing.  It just seems like such a giant hassle to have to go through that every single time I step into the kitchen, and quite frankly, it's not something I want to deal with.  Washing dishes gets old, fast. I also just think that the less equipment you have to use in order to prepare something ultimately yields something completely delicious and wonderful, all because it's so simple.  There's no gimmicks or sauces or garnishes that exist solely to mask the flavor of a simple cake or cookie, and you just get to enjoy whatever it is that you're eating for what it is.  This apple dapple cake is one of those purely simple cakes that are just so good, that they stand out more in my mind that any over-the-top cupcake every could. 

Caramel Apple Ice Cream

Happy October!  I can't believe we're in October already, it feels like it was only yesterday we were all wearing shorts and flip flops and pretty sundresses and going for sunny walks in the park.  I still see some people are doing that though…walking around Riverside park and campus in what looks like a summer outfit.  Not ok.  It's just not that time of the year anymore.  Sorry.  However.  The weather has pretty schizophrenic lately, cold one day and warm the next, and I guess I got a bit of that crazy weather bug.  That's why I made you guys ice cream.