Joy the Baker » fall

Apple and Pomegranate Brussels Sprout Salad

joythebaker — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:12:02 +0000

Note: It’s past midnight… and I’ve lost my mind raiding my chocolate drawer.

Second Note: I have a chocolate drawer… it’s an occupational perk and hazard.

Third Note: I used to have a chocolate drawer. Just wrappers now.

Fourth Note: Why does Kim Kardashian insist on making such a joke of her life? It must be the money. Right? It’s gotta be the money.

… and now! SALAD.

I know what you want.

It’s not Brussels Sprouts.

I know what you want… because what you want is what I want.

You want chocolate. I know this because I’m eating chocolate, kinda right now.

Seriously though… we have to play it cool. We have to sit at the table until we finish our vegetables.

There’s salted caramel in our future. There’s fried things. There’s cocktails. There’s all the buttery things you would expect from me.

Eyes on the prize. Let’s just hush up and eat our pretty salad.

If we’re going to eat a salad, I insist that it be pretty and jeweled.

This is fennel. It’s licorice crunch.

Sexy, jeweled, murder fruit.

Pomegranates are gorgeous… and they stain EVERYTHING.

Thinly sliced apples and slivered almonds.

YEA! In a salad!

All of this goodness gets tossed with shaved, raw Brussels sprouts. This salad was inspired by Cube restaurant in Los Angeles. I think this preparation of Fall Brussels sprouts is divine, fresh, and super healthy.

I tossed this salad with fresh lemon juice, good olive oil, salt, and pepper. Very simple.

Perhaps you want to try a Poppy Seed Vinaigrette, or a Green Goddess Dressing.

Eat up. Prepare yourself for the caramel and cheesecake that’s about to happen here.

Apple Pomegranate Brussels Sprout Salad

makes 4 small or 2 large portions

inspired by Cube restaurant in Los Angeles

Print this Recipe!

about 1 pound of Brussels sprouts (I used about 20 sprouts)

1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

1 small fennel bulb, sliced very thin

1 Fuji apple, sliced thin

handful of toasted slivered almonds

salt and pepper

lemon and olive oil

Rinse brussels sprouts of any dirt or grime. Place on a cutting board horizontally, and slice thinny, creating little brussels sprout rounds and ribbons. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

Wearing an apron, deseed pomegranate and gather about 1/2 cup of seeds. Add to the brussels sprout bowl.

Add thinly sliced fennel and apple, as well as the slivered almonds. Toss together using hands. Add the juice of 1 lemon, a good drizzle of olive oil, and a healthy pinch of salt and coarsely ground pepper. Toss together, let rest for about 20 minutes in the fridge so the lemon can slightly soften the sprouts.

Serve in generous portions. Top with more pomegranates if you’re feeling fancy. I’m always feeling fancy.[/printab

Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Goat Cheese Biscuits

joythebaker — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 05:14:32 +0000

Soup is my favorite thing to make.

If I could have been a professional soup maker instead of a professional baker… this blog would have been called something.. well, you know.

I love making soup.

I just stand in front of the stove and stir. And stir. And stir. And completely space out. Stir again. Think some thoughts. Stir. Taste. Stir.

It’s the best. It’s like taking too long a shower and accidentally washing you hair three and a half times.

Soup is best with biscuits. Really.. I’ll find any excuse to put a biscuit in my face.

These biscuits are made with both butter and goat cheese. Goat cheese!! In the dang biscuit!

The result is a tender, slightly tangy, dream boat biscuit situation.

These are the best drop biscuits to ever happen, anywhere… ever.

They’re so easy. Make them. You’ll understand.

Let me tell you about this soup.

It’s called Curried Sweet Potato Soup, but it’s not really curry-y. It’s packed with some really lovely flavors: coriander, cumin and ginger… and of course loads of sweet potato. Goat cheese crumbles on top really balance out the whole bowl.

This soup and biscuit combination is absolutely one of my favorite fall discoveries. It’s so warm, flavorful and delicious. Please make it happen in your kitchen.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

serves 6 to 8

Print this Recipe!

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

6 cups chicken broth, or slightly more as needed.

salt and pepper to taste

6 to 8 teaspoons goat cheese

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until the onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red pepper flakes. Add the sweet potatoes and broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup, in batches in a blender or food processor. Season to taste. The soup can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Reheat over a low flame. If the soup is too thick, add a little more stock.

Ladle into bowls and crumble goat cheese on top.

Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

makes about 9 biscuits

adapted slightly from Art Smith’s Table Fifty-Two

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the pan

2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted to top the biscuits

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup buttermilk

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat as well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With your fingers incorporate the butter and goat cheese until the flour resembles a coarse, pebbly mixture. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. With a fork, mix together the buttermilk and flour until all of the dry flour disappears.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan or in the microwave. Set aside.

Remove the cast iron from the oven and place one tablespoon of butter in it. Work the pat of butter around, greasing the entire pan, including the sides.

Spoon the batter, by the 1/4-cup into the hot skillet. I used a big scooper to do the job. The biscuits will touch when baked… that’s ok.

Brush with melted butter.

Bake for 14-16 minutes, until slightly golden in color. Remove from the oven. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Cinnamon: The Greatest Hits

joythebaker — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 08:08:42 +0000

Cinnamon. It’s a constant in my cupboard.

Cinnamon is that spice that instantly makes baked goods feel extra warm and extra comforting.

The smell from the oven? Pretty much perfect.

It feels like Autumn is trying to sneak up on us. Cinnamon just makes sense these days. Let me show you some things I’ve shown you before. This seems like a good weekend for some baking.

Pear Spice Cake with Walnut Praline Topping. Rich. Spiced. Delicate. Caution: you will want to eat the praline topping by the fistful. You’ll have to stop yourself. Good luck.

Vegan Coconut Pineapple Banana Bread.

That’s a lot of words…. and there’s cinnamon in it too.

This is one of my favorite breads over. I make it when there’s nothing left in my fridge but dying bananas.

Yea…

Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti… like toast became a cookie. Awesome.

Ohmygosh. This Spiced Apple Cake is so crazy yummy. Maybe I’m just a sucker for baked apples and cinnamon.

Duh.

It’s vegan. It’s pumpkin. It’s walnut. It’s cinnamon. It’s maple syrup. It’s super dang good.

If you’ve been here for a while and you haven’t yet made this Apple Crisp, I don’t know what to tell you… this recipe is a game changer. Trust me. Please. Go. Do. Go. Do. Go. Do. Go. Do!

I swear… cooking rice in sugar and milk has got to be one of the best things man has ever created. Well…that and mouth breathing. You know that feels good.

Brown Rice Rice Pudding.

And!

Tea inspired, Chai Spice Pancakes. Because I will find any and every excuse to make up a new pancake recipe.

Apple Tarte Tatin

joythebaker — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 03:55:00 +0000

Everything about this Apple Tarte Tatin is a good idea.

Everything except the scalding hot sugar, the super heavy 400 degree cast iron skillet… and the fact that you somehow have to flip that skillet and all of its contents out onto a serving platter.

Ok… maybe not eeeeeverything about this tart is a good idea But! The French have been doing this for an eternity and they know a thing or two about how to make butter and sugar delicious.

So, let’s just say that most things about this tart is a good idea. I’m tellin’ ya… burning your mouth of super hot tarte tatin because you can’t wait to slice into the darn thing!? Totally worth it.

Man I made this recipe tempting… didn’t it!?

Jill and I are at it again! Do you see a video here? I reallllly hope you do.

Apples. I used two sorts. Granny Smith because they’re firm and tart (just like me… ew) and Fuji Apples because they hold up to baking and they taste like apple honey.

Salted melted butter is combined with plain old sugar.

They’ll date for a while, get engaged, get in a giant freak-out fight, make up, buy a couch, get married… then turn into the most lovely, golden salted caramel you’ve ever seen.

Did I mention that wedged and stacked apples are a part of the butter and sugar courtship?

Duh.

Butter and sugar and apples. The part of their relationship where they buy a couch.

Puff pastry is the last addition to the apple and caramel marriage. It the topper. It’s time to shine is in the oven.

What we have here is about 25 pounds of cast iron, baked apples, caramel and flaky crust. It’s about a million degrees. That’s super hot.

Wait until the cast iron is about half a million degrees hot… then flip the apple tarte tatin onto the ugliest red plate you can find.

Actually… a pretty white plate would better. Why didn’t anyone tell me that?

Awkward.

Apple Tarte Tatin

Print this Recipe!

1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, thawed but still cold

7 apples (I used Granny Smith and Fuji)

1 stick (4 ounces) salted butter

1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 374 degrees F. Place a cookie sheet in the oven too.

Peel, core and quarter the apples. You might be tempted to cut the apple pieces smaller that quarters. Don’t. The apples will cook down considerable when cooked so you’ll want to keep the pieces nice and big. Set aside. If the apples brown just a bit while they’re waiting to be baked… that’s totally fine.

Melt butter in a 10-inch, heavy bottom… heavy all over… cast iron skillet. Remove butter from the heat and whisk in the sugar. The mixture will be thick. Just spread it evenly over the bottom of the cast iron.

Arrange the apple quarters in the pan by stacking the pieces in a circle along the outside of the pan and working you way in. Pack the apples in tight as they will cook down when they’re cooked on the stovetop. Save any extra apple quarters to add to the tart as it cooks on the stove and more room frees up.

Return the pan to the stovetop and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes. Be sure to keep the flame at medium high, letting the sugar boil and caramelize. The high heat will help the sugar caramelize and the apples cook at the correct rate. A lower heat will break down the apples before caramelizing the sugar. I know it’s scary… but medium high is the way to go.

While apples are cooking, remove and unfold puff pastry. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out puff pastry, extending it about 1/2 to 1-inch on all sides. This won’t require a lot of rolling at all. Find a dinner plate about the size of the 10-inch cast iron skillet. Place the dinner plate on top of the puff pastry to use as a measuring guide to cut out a circle. Cut the pastry about 1/2-inch bigger than the plate. The extra dough you’ll just tuck into the cast iron. Place the puff pastry in the fridge until the apples are done cooking.

Check apples after 10 minutes. The caramel should be close. Add any extra apple quarters if you find you have room. Let apples and caramel cook for another 5 minutes. Keeping an eye on the caramel color. There is no need to stir or otherwise disturb the caramel or apples… just watch.

After 15-18 minutes on the stovetop, remove the pan from heat. Careful… this will be hot and heavy.

Carefully place the puff pastry over the hot apples, tucking into the edges of the puff pastry. Don’t worry if it’s not smooth and perfect… it’ll bake up just fine. Place the cast iron on top of the hot cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Run a knife along the edges of the cast iron to make sure that none of the puff pastry edges are sticking to the pan. Place a large plate on top of the cast iron and, using two giant pot holders, invert the plate and pan. You should hear or feel a little drop as the tart falls onto the place. Life the cast iron and you should have a gorgeous tarte tatin.

If any apple slices stuck to the cast iron, just remove them with a fork and place them right back in the tart.

Perfect! This tart is best served warm but keeps for a day at room temperature.

Fried Apple Cakes

joythebaker — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:35:11 +0000

I’m ready to put two more blankets on my bed.

I’m ready to invest in some fuzzy slippers.

I’m ready to sport tight turtlenecks from now until March.

I’m ready for turkey chili, broccoli soup and warm apples.

Autumn. It’s almost here. Heck yea.

These Fried Apple Cakes work along the same lines as Potato Pancakes.

Apples are peeled and shredded and mixed with eggs, sugar and spices. They’re then fried up like pancakes and topped with sour cream and maple syrup.

Satisfying, delicious, and they smell like heaven. Heaven smells like warm apples… I’m sure of it.

Fried Apple Cakes

makes 8 hearty cakes

Print this Recipe!

3 cups shredded apples from peeled apples, I used Fuji Apples, but feel free to mix em up.

juice of half a lemon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

pinch of salt

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter and a dash of oil for cooking pancakes

Peel three medium apples. Grate the apples and drizzle the juice of half a lemon over the shredded apple. Place shredded apples in a colander over a bowl and leave for 10 minutes while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.

Beat the eggs and add the flour , sugar and spices. Whisk until no lumps remain. Press some of the excess juices out of the resting apples and add to the egg and flour mixture.

Over medium heat, melt half of the butter in a heavy bottom skillet and add just a dash of oil. This will help the butter not burn. Dollop large tablespoonfuls of apple batter into the hot butter and fry like pancakes, flipping once. Serve with maple syrup and sour cream.

Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Soup

joythebaker — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:39:58 +0000

Autumn To-Do List

Buy boots. Wear new boots at every waking moment.

Bust out the scarves and go for it. Two at a time? Fine by me!

Make Dad’s Sweet Potato Pie. I know… I’ve been talking about this for ages. I need to shut my trap and get bakin’ already.

Don’t get Swine Flu, that would be seriously lame.

Is it time for flannel sheets? Well.. is the Pope Catholic? Heck yes!

Eat Roasted Pumpkin Soup by the truckload. Do it. Done.

I make a lot of soup. I don’t tell you about half of the soup I make because if you knew, you might make me change the name of this blog to Joy the Soup Maker.

That being said… when I make soups, I usually don’t follow a recipe. Here’s a secret: you can throw just about anything into soup and it’ll be delicious.

Here’s my recipe for pumpkin soup. It’s easy, creamy, and super healthy. Store it in jars in the freezer and put a frozen jar in the fridge in the morning for the evening’s dinner. This recipe is divine with or without the heavy cream. You could also use water instead of vegetable stock, but I love the flavor that a good vegetable stock adds to vegetable soups.

Roasted Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Soup

serves 6 to 8

Print this Recipe!

1 medium pumpkin (perhaps a sugar pumpkin) and 1 medium butternut squash

1 cup leeks

2 small cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

5-6 cups vegetable broth

1/4-1/2 cup cream

2 teaspoons brown sugar

a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut pumpkin and butternut squash into 2-inch chunks, removing the inner seeds and fibrous bits. I roasted my pumpkin and squash with the peel on and removed the cooked flesh from the peel once baked. If you think it’s easier to peel the pumpkin and squash before baking, then go right ahead.

Slice the white flesh up until the green stalks of several leeks. Toss the pumpkin, squash, whole garlic cloves and leeks on a baking tray with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a fork inserted in the flesh of the pumpkin and squash meets no resistance.

Remove from the oven and allow them to rest until cool enough to handle.

When cooled, use a spoon to scoop the cooked flesh away from the squash peel and place in a large saucepan. Add the roasted garlic and leeks to the pan too. Add 3 cups of warm vegetable broth and using a hand blender, blend and breakdown the squash flesh with the broth. If you don’t have a hand blender, blending the chunky soup in a regular blender in batches should work too. Add 2 to 3 more cups of broth and blend until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Add sugar and nutmeg.

Cook soup over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add cream and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Serve warm.

Spiced Apple Cake

joythebaker — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:05:24 +0000

I sometimes wish that my future self could just pop into my present world just to… you know… say hi, and let me know that everything in the future is going along just swimmingly. That never happens, but maybe I just haven’t given future me enough guidance. With this in mind… here’s a quick letter to future me. Now maybe 48 year old me will get crackin’ on some answers. Slacker.

Dear Future Me,

Hi. How’s it going? You look really pretty in that sweater.

I have a few questions for you. I hope you’ll indulge me.

Are you still unreasonably afraid of spiders? Probably. You know what? That’s ok. That’s what spouses are for… clearing spiders from anywhere that might interfere with you.

Speaking of spouses… do you have one? How’s that going? Awesome. I hope it’s awesome. I hope you two hold hands and take morning walks and go out on dates.

Do you still buy the cheap mascara? Have you been to Italy yet?

Tell me you still wear a little black dress and heels on occasion. Please.

Kids. Do we have Mom hands yet? Oooh, I love Mom hands. I can’t wait to have Mom hands… well I can wait. I’m waiting right this very second and I don’t feel bad. But Mom hands…. I bet we totally have Mom hands.

How do you feel about eggplant? Do you like eggplant yet?

What’s been good? What’s been not so good? Are you livin’ the dream?

Let me know how we are. Send me a sign… maybe a paper airplane with your answers… whatever you need to do.

I’ll be sitting here with a cup of tea and my Spiced Apple Cake waiting to hear from you.

Love,

Present Me

Quick Blurb of Shamelessness

Hi… it’s me, Joy the Baker. I hang out here a lot. So do you. I like that. Thanks.

Last week I was nominated for the Foodbuzz Blog Awards. The Best Baking Blog… go figure. If you’re feeling… votey, you might head on over to Foodbuzz to vote for all the fine folks that are up for an award. Yea? Thanks!

I love this apple cake. LOVE IT! It’s perfectly spiced, full of tart fall apples and moistened with sour cream. I baked my apple cake in an old fashioned tube pan, but I think this recipe is best made in a 8″ or 9″ spring form pan. Bonus! This cake freezes well. I sliced my cake and wrapped up pieces individually to grab as an afternoon snack at work. Spiced Apple Cake with hot tea… a perfect world.

Spiced Apple Cake

from The Sweet Life

Print this Recipe!

Sauteed Apples

2 tart apples (about 1 pound)

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

Cake

12 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon clove

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sour cream

1/4 cup raw sugar (or granulated if you don’t have raw on hand)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour an 8-inch spring form pan and set aside.

To sautee the apples: peel, core and dice the apples into 1/4-inch cubes. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat until butter beings to bubble. Add the diced apples and cook for one minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the sugar and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook the apples, uncovered for 4-5 minutes until they are softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool. You’ll only use the sauteed apples for the recipe so you can discard any liquids that may have accumulated.

To make the cake: cream the butter, sugar and spices in a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment until light in color and fluffy. This may take 6 to 8 minutes. Stop the mixer occasionally, to scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks one at a time and continue beating until fluffy and glossy.

Measure out the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. With the mixer set on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter. Mix until no flour streaks remain. Add the sour cream all at once and incorporate. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until no traces remain. Fold in the cooked apples with a rubber spatula. The cake batter will be thick.

Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan and distribute evenly. Take a knife and run it in a singular circular motion through the batter 1-inch from the edge of the pan. This will help the cake to rise evenly. Sprinkle the cake with the raw or granulated sugar and bake for 60- 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the spring form pan.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes and other such pumpkin treats

joythebaker — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:57:35 +0000

Pumpkin.

It’s October and it is time. Pumpkin.

Hold on to your hats. I’ll be all up in your grill with peppermint and chocolate for Christmas before you know it.

For now….

Pumpkin. Don’t fight it.

Sweet. Soft. Cake-like. Pumpkin Cookies with Butterscotch Chips. A-mazing.

Pumpkin Pie Bars. Nuts. Oats. Spices… and Butterscotch chips, for good measure.

Again with the Pumpkin Cookies. They’re that good. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Now… Pumpkin Pancakes sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream. Lovely Fall weekend breakfast. Inspires weekend napping. What could be better?

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

adapted from Martha Stewart

makes 14-18 small pancakes

Print this Recipe!

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

pinch of ground ginger

pinch of ground cloves

1 cup milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

Whisk together flours, salt, spices, sugar and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin and vegetable oil or melted butter.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Don’t worry if you have a few lumps. You don’t want to over beat the batter, it’ll produce tough pancakes.

Let the batter sit for 10 minutes while you heat the skillet. Over low-medium heat melt a tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil . Once skillet is hot, spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake into the skillet. When pancake starts to bubble slightly, carefully flip over.

Once browned and cooked through place pancakes on a oven proof plate and place in the oven set at 200 degrees F to keep warm while the rest of the pancakes are cooked.

Serve with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar.. or maple syrup. Delicious!

Sit and Stay Awhile Apple Crisp

joythebaker — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:40:19 +0000

Some recipes are good enough to serve at the church picnic. Some recipes are fine enough to take to the family barbecue. Other recipes you know will satisfy your office coworkers. Those savages will eat just about anything.

Then there’s the recipe that you pull out of your back pocket when you’re looking for love.

This beautifully simple Apple Crisp recipe is that “get a man (or woman!) and hold on to him (or her!) recipe”. If you already have that man, consider this your “it’s time for a ring” recipe, or your “sorry I scratched the bumper of our new car” recipe, maybe even the “thanks for working so hard today honey… I made the house smell like warm apples with this apple crisp just for you” recipe. See, I’m looking out for you.

This recipe is the perfect balance of warm memories and good love. The warm apples tossed with sugar and cinnamon beautifully collide with the toasted, crunchy topping.

It’s a dream come true.

So the Bake a Warm Apple Crisp and Get a Man experiment hasn’t yet worked for me. That’s mostly because I haven’t tried it yet.

But Ann, the generous lady at Fidget who was kind enough to share this recipe with me, has had oodles of success. She wooed her husband with this very recipe and still has requests for the apple crisp from Mr. Fidget six years later. It works!

Sit and Stay Awhile Apple Crisp

recipe from Ann of Fidget

Print this Recipe!

bake in an 8×8 baking dish or double the recipe and bake in a 9×13 dish

Filling:
5 to 6 medium-size apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices. (About 7.5 cups)
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1.5 tsp cinnamon

Topping:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened
2/3 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
1/3 cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease an 8×8 baking pan with butter.

Place a layer of apple slices in the bottom of the pan and dust with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Continue layering apples and dusting with cinnamon/sugar until done. Toss the apple mixture until evenly coated in cinnamon sugar. The apples should be just about to the top of the pan (they will cook down).

For the topping, place the flour, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon and oats in a large bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon. Work the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until evenly distributed. Take one full handful of the topping and toss it into the sugared apple mixture. Spread the rest of the topping evenly over the apples. (I usually end up with a dough-like topping that I just lay on top of the apples).

Bake the crisp in the dish on a baking sheet on the center oven rack until the topping is crunchy and the apples are bubbling, 55-60 minutes.

Serve hot; it’s excellent with vanilla ice cream.

Is it time for Spice?

joythebaker — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:15:32 +0000

What is going on in the world? Is Al Gore messing with the global temperature again? We’re sneaking into mid October and here I am in Los Angeles trying to talk myself out of using my air conditioner. It’s as hot here as it was in July. We’re talking 90′s people. 90′s! That’s just not normal.

All I want to do is get the cider going, maybe curl up with some pear upside down cake or anything filled with pumpkin flavor. What’s stopping me? All this blasted sunshine and heat. I know… I know… I shouldn’t let a little sunshine get in the way of my dreams.

Incidentially, just as I’m writing this, I have my neighbors glorious barbecue smells wafting through my window. I suppose I can’t be all that grumpy about a little sunshine.

Are you having more cozy, spice friendly weather? Here are some of the deliciously spiced recipes I’ve played with here on Joy the Baker. No doubt this Fall (as soon as it kicks in) I’ll share some new goodies with you.

Now I’m going to go see if I can snatch some barbecue scraps from my neighbor…..

Gingerbread Pancakes with Homemade Pancake Syrup Yes. More pancakes. Don’t act like you’re the least bit surprised.

Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread This is one of my Dad’s favorite breads. A grated raw sweet potato adds amazing moisture and flavor to this bread. Also throw in nuts and dried fruit as you see fit. It’s totally customizable.

Super Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies These are easily one of my favorite cookies of all time. They fall somewhere in between cake and cookie. Perfect. And the combination of pumpkin and chocolate is just so dear to my heart.

Cranberry Orange Almond Oatmeal This breakfast oatmeal is so good you might not mind dragging yourself out of bed ten minutes early to make it. Between the oats, dried fruit and almonds, this is one delicious balanced breakfast that would keep any normal person full well into the lunch hour. I’m a maniac though, so no matter what I eat for breakfast, by 10:30 in the morning I’m ready for second breakfast…. yes… second breakfast.

What spiced goodies are you baking up for Fall (or Spring, if you’re on the other side of the planet) ?