Category: Baking


Banzai Un-Birthday: Apricot Pecan Bars

Filed under: Dessert!, Baking, Easy, Banzai Birthday!, Cookies, Munchies Mind — Leave a comment
May 24, 2013

Apricot Pecan BarsWow – these are good!

Make a buttery shortbread crust, top it with your favorite jam, crumble some topping and nuts over the jam, and bake until set.

Doesn’t that sound easy? It IS! And the result is AMAZING!!

These have been on my To-Bake list for quite a while, so when I needed a quick Banzai Un-Birthday treat for our Karate Club, I was ready to try them!

The recipe is adapted from the C&H Sugar website. I changed out the jam and the nuts to work with what I had in my pantry. We all really enjoyed the apricot/pecan combination! I’m sure several other combos would be good, too: strawberry/almonds and raspberry/walnut come to mind.

I suggest using real butter for the crust and crumble, because it’ll make a much better shortbread than margarine or shortening. The recipe has a glaze, but it’s really not necessary. I wasn’t going to add it, since my taste-tester and I both thought they were delish without it, but changed my mind and added it before I took the rest of the bars to Karate. Add the glaze or don’t, according to your preference. You’ll like them either way!

Apricot Pecan Bars

Adapted from C&H Sugar’s Glazed Peach Bars

Stuff you’ll need:

Crust and Filling Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened [I highly recommend real butter!]
2/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup apricot preserves [or peach, raspberry, strawberry-rhubarb...]

Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted if you’re not lazy like me (see Quick Tip)

Glaze Ingredients (Optional):
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon milk (or to desired consistency)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Now what?
Crust and Filling Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F; arrange rack to center position.
Beat butter with sugar and flour; press evenly on bottom of lightly greased 13x9x2-inch pan. Don’t bother to clean the bowl; just use it for the topping.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden around edges. Remove from oven. Stir up preserves and pour into center of the crust. Allow to stand 2-3 minutes, then spread preserves evenly over crust with back of large spoon.

Topping Instructions

Combine flour with sugar, butter and almond extract; beat slowly several minutes to blend.
Crumble evenly over top of preserves.
Sprinkle pecans over topping and return pan to oven.
Continue baking 20-25 minutes or until bubbly with golden edges. [I baked mine about 30 minutes until the filling wasn't sloshy.]
Cool thoroughly.

Glaze Instructions (Optional)

Whisk powdered sugar with milk and almond extract until smooth. Drizzle randomly over top of cooled, baked crust/filling/topping mixture. Cut into squares.

Quick Tip(s)
To toast nuts, arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet and “toast” under your oven’s broiler until golden, stirring frequently for even browning.

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Snickerdoodles!

Filed under: Baking, Cookies, Munchies Mind — 2 Comments
May 4, 2013

SnickerdoodlesI love cinnamon and the warm smell when it bakes. It’s so comforting and homey!

Snickerdoodles are easy to make and even easier to eat! The cookies are vanilla-based with just a touch of salt to balance out the sugar. Rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked, the surface has a somewhat cracked appearance.

Because they’re not overly sweet, it’s easy to eat one after another. After another, after another. I can vouch for that. The last time I made Snickerdoodles for a birthday party, I had to send the leftovers back to school with The Pretty One so I didn’t eat them all. Well, I sent the leftovers that were left over AFTER I ate quite a few of them. They’re really “that” good.

This recipe comes from my friend, Jennifer’s, family cookbook. The Pretty One requested Snickerdoodles for Christmas dessert one year. I don’t think I’d ever made them, so I pulled out Jenn’s cookbook and tried this recipe. I’ve never tried another one since!Snickerdoodles

The size of the cookie is up to you, and you’ll need to adjust the baking temperature based on that. You can roll teaspoons of dough between your hands before rolling in the cinnamon sugar, or you can use a small cookie scoop (my preference) and roll in the cinnamon sugar.

Bake til the cookies are set and just starting to brown around the edges. Let them rest on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on a rack.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Snickerdoodles

Stuff you need:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

Now what?

Heat oven to 400F.

Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, shortening and eggs in large bowl.

Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

Shape dough. Roll rounded teaspoons into balls between your hands or us a small cookie scoop.

Mix 3 Tablespoons sugar with 3 teaspoons cinnamon.

Roll balls in mixture.

Place about 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. If making the cookie scoop size, dip a glass bottom in the cinnamon sugar and lightly press the cookie down. It’ll bake more evenly if you do that.

Bake until set, 8-10 minutes. Let set on cookie sheet for about 3 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Yield: About 30 cookies if using the cookie scoop.

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Storm Prep: Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies!

Filed under: Baking, Chocolate, Chocolate Madness!, Cookies, Dessert!, Easy — Leave a comment
March 24, 2013

We were getting ready for another big storm to hit KC. Like most people, I’m sick of the snow but what are you gonna do, right?

Well, with nasty weather coming in, I did what most normal women would do to get ready. First, I got a pedi. Everything’s better with fresh nails, right? And then, I baked cookies!Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

With fresh nails, warm cookies, books on my Kindle and plenty of movies, I don’t mind being snowed in!

We “lucked out” and this last round wasn’t as bad as it might have been. Still, I’m home waiting for the snowplow. We live on a cul-de-sac and are the last ones to be plowed out. It’s usually a combination of a bobcat and a snowplow. So far I haven’t seen either, but that’s OK with me. I’ve got cookies!

This recipe is simple and tasty. It doesn’t use any weird ingredients, so if you’re snowed in you might have everything in your pantry to make these now. I used peanut butter chips and no nuts, but you could use any combo of chips and nuts you like.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Slightly adapted from She Makes and Bakes

Stuff you need:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups oats (quick or regular – both work)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts [use any combination of chips and nuts that equals 1 cup]

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips [use any combination of chips and nuts that equals 1 cup]

Now what?

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugars until soft and mixed.

Add in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add in the vanilla, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low until combined.

Mix the cocoa powder and flour together and add gradually with mixer at low speed.

Once combined, add in the oats and mix.

Stir in the nuts and chips and mix until just incorporated.

Form the dough into one-inch balls or use a cookie scoop and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes until set, but don’t overbake.

Let them cool for one minute on the sheet and then remove to a cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container or bag.

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Blondies!

Filed under: Baking, Dessert!, Easy, Munchies Mind — Leave a comment
January 16, 2013

My favorite baked desserts, aside from kick-ass cheesecakes, are the bar cookies. I think it’s because they’re easier to make than cookies, and versatile enough that you can customize them to your own tastes.Blondies

I was craving cookies but didn’t want to watch several pans of cookies closely enough that I didn’t burn them. I thought about brownies but didn’t have the right chocolate to make them from scratch. I saw this recipe and thought it would do the trick – quench my cookie craving while catering to my laziness today.

You don’t need a mixer for these; they’re mixed in a saucepan and poured into the baking pan. My Craggy-Topped Fudge Brownies use the same method, and it’s an easy one.

The base to these have a slight butterscotch flavor due to the butter and brown sugar base. I topped them with semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped pecans. If you want a less-sweet bar, consider using bittersweet chocolate chips (but don’t go overboard!) and/or walnuts instead of pecans.

These are really easy to make and the recipe can be halved if you don’t want to eat them all yourself.  ;)   They’ll travel well and would be great in lunches or to take to a pot luck.

Blondies

Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

(Recipe can be halved; bake in 8×8 pan.)

Stuff you need:
2/3 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Now what?
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.
In a medium saucepan heat and stir butter and brown sugar over medium heat until smooth. Cool slightly. [I cooled mine about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The eggs will "cook" when they're added if you don't cool the mixture a little.]
Stir in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in vanilla.
Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Press down slightly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars while warm.

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Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Nut Topping

Filed under: Baking, Breakfast, Comfort Food, Dessert!, Easy, Munchies Mind — 3 Comments
January 12, 2013

Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Nut ToppingMy daughter and her children befriended an elderly gentleman neighbor. For his birthday, he requested an Oatmeal Cake. Tish said that was all he wanted – just a simple oatmeal cake.

This morning, tired from working so much that many mornings I wasn’t sure what day it was, I decided to take the day off and do anything but work. I hadn’t baked anything in a couple of weeks, and I felt like I couldn’t go another day without playing in my kitchen!

While I was reading cookbooks in bed I ran across this Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Nut Topping. I remembered Tish saying she’d made one, realized I’ve never had it, and discovered I had all the ingredients in-house so I didn’t have to take my lazy butt to the store.

I’m not much of a cake person so I don’t make them often, but the “homey” feeling of this appealed to me. If there is a “comfort food” cake, this is it. It’s a bowl of oatmeal folded into a cake; a bit denser than most cakes because of the oatmeal yet not too heavy, and that may be why I like it.

The other thing I like – OK, maybe like isn’t a strong enough word – is the broiled nut topping. Mmmm… Mmmm… MMMMmm!! It’s definitely worth the extra steps required. In fact, I think it makes the cake memorable.Oatmeal Cake w/Broiled Nut Topping

I added a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg than the original recipe called for because I wasn’t really smelling the spices in the cake batter. I’ll see if the flavors meld overnight and come out a bit more. If not, I’ll double the spices the next time I make it. In my world, you can never have too much nutmeg.  =D

If you want a simple, homespun cake, give this a try. If you don’t want to make the broiled nut topping, you can serve it as-is; sprinkle powdered sugar on top; or serve it warm with ice cream, caramel sauce and nuts.

If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast, you could pretend this is a good choice. After all, oatmeal with cinnamon is a common breakfast, right? So why can’t it be in a cake? (I can justify just about any food choice when I try.) Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Nut Topping

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook (the pink Limited Edition)

Stuff you need:

CAKE

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups boiling water

1 cup rolled oats [not quick cooking]

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon [More if you like more spice.]

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg [More if you love nutmeg!]

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 recipe Broiled Nut Topping (see below)

 

Now what?

CAKE

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In small bowl pour boiling water over oats. Stir until combined; let stand 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a 9-inch springform pan; set pan aside. [I don't think a regular 9-inch pan will work - this bakes up higher than a regular cake and will need the tall sides of the springform.]

In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.

Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until well combined.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Alternately add flour mixture and oatmeal mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pan; cool on wire rack at least 1 hour more.

Transfer cake to a baking sheet. [For easier clean-up, put some foil on the baking sheet.]

Spread Broiled Nut Topping over warm cake. Broil about 4 inches from heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until topping is bubbly and golden. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

 

BROILED NUT TOPPING

 Stuff you need:

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons half-and-half, light cream, or milk [I used milk and it worked fine.]

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/3 cup flaked coconut

Now what?

In a medium saucepan combine butter and half-and-half, light cream, or milk.

Cook and stir until butter melts. Add brown sugar; stir until sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat. Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts and flaked coconut.

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Strawberry Confetti Cookies

Filed under: Baking, Cookies, Cutie Patooties!, Easy, Munchies Mind, Quick! — 4 Comments
December 18, 2012

Strawberry Confetti CookiesCookies so easy a 6-year-old can make them? You betcha!

My daughter, the grandkids and I had a cookie-making extravaganza this weekend. I cheated and made some of my cookies in advance, since my daughter had to take Cutie Patootie #1 to a dance recital and we were tight on time. I chose two cookies to make with the kids that I thought they would enjoy. One was this Strawberry Confetti Cookie, the other was the traditional Spritz recipe, which I’ll post later.

These are quick, have only a few ingredients, and they don’t even require a mixer! The munchkins will build up some bicep muscles with the stirring, since the dough gets thick, and you might have to help them out a little.

Strawberry Confetti Cookies

Cutie Patootie #1 adding lots of sprinkles to our cookies!

Choose whatever cake flavor / color you like, and then choose a contrasting color or mixture of sprinkles. We chose a strawberry cake mix because we thought the pink (red) color would be a nice addition to holiday cookie trays. If you want a darker color, add a couple drops of food coloring.

Make sure you’re using sprinkles and non-pareils, not anything that’s classified as sugar. Sugar will dissolve and you won’t get the effect you want. We used a combination of holiday-shaped sprinkles and teeny white non-pareils.

The cookies are cake-like and moist, and hold well so you can make them in advance. A co-worker and I think they’d be great using lemon cake mix or even pineapple. Make some with your Cutie Patooties and let me know what you think!

Strawberry Confetti Cookies

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Stuff you need:
1 box (18.25 oz) cake mix, any flavor [Strawberry, lemon, orange, white/yellow...]
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sprinkles

Now what?

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray pan or grease and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and baking powder. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla by hand.

Add the egg mixture to the cake mixture and stir well (by hand – no mixer needed) until all the dry ingredients have been moistened. Do not overmix – it’s OK if there are some small lumps in the batter, just not large lumps. This is where the munchkins will build their muscles, and may need your help!

Gently mix in the sprinkles until they are just distributed. Again, don’t overmix, so don’t add them in the previous step with the dry ingredients.

Use a cookie scoop or drop rounded 1-inch balls of dough onto prepared baking sheet. Ours did not spread, so they can be put fairly close together, but leave room for air to circulate between the cookies.

Bake for 9 minutes – do not let the cookies brown. If baking 2 pans at once, bake for 5 minutes then switch the racks and bake another 4 minutes.

Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes; they will  be very soft at first. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

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Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Filed under: Baking, Dog Treats, Easy, Munchies Mind — 2 Comments
November 30, 2012

I said I wouldn’t be one of those people who cooked for their dogs. And then we brought Riley home.

4 ingredient peanut butter Dog TreatsHe had a cough and choked on his hard food, so on Day 2 I found myself cooking up some brown rice, egg whites and cheese. I thought that would hold him over until I could get some softer dog food.

Well, I didn’t stop there. New dogs require training, and training requires treats. Treats are expensive, so when I saw this post for DIY Dog Treats that uses only 4 ingredients, I thought I should try them. I had everything in-house and I already had the oven on!

These are super-simple to make, and so cute too! I would have used a bone-shaped cookie cutter but I don’t have one so I used the heart. The Pretty One has been making fun of me since he saw them! As he says, just a day after I said I wouldn’t cook for a dog, I baked him treats. And not only did I bake him treats, but I cut them into little heart shapes! He’s taken great delight in showing them to his sister and his friends. I’m glad I’m here to amuse him. What are mothers for, right?

I got about 4 dozen treats from the batch using a 2″ cookie cutter. I’ve read some comments on other blogs that some dogs don’t do well with wheat. Riley hasn’t had any trouble with them, but if your dog is sensitive to any of the ingredients, the simple solution is to not make them. :)

Oh, and you should freeze whatever you don’t expect to use within a week. I checked the batch yesterday (2-3 weeks after I made them) and they’re growing fuzz.

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Stuff you need:

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

1 cup milk

Now what?

Preheat oven to 375′F.

In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead.

Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 18-20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container.

Make sure you keep an eye on them, because they tend to burn easily.

Freeze whatever you won’t use within the week.

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Pumpkin Pecan Crumble Pie

Filed under: Baking, Comfort Food, Dessert!, Munchies Mind, Pie — Leave a comment
November 22, 2012

Today is Thanksgiving, and my mama is in town to celebrate with us!

Pumpkin Pecan Crumble Pie

“Light and fluffy. The perfect pie!”

Thanksgiving is full of traditions, except in my house. We’re not big turkey people, so I usually make something else. I guess you could say that’s our tradition. One year we had baby back ribs, another fried chicken.

Today was no exception – I made stuffed pork chops with an apple/onion/celery stuffing, mom’s sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, mashed potatoes & gravy (maybe the BEST food ever!!), corn, rolls, and of course, pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin Pecan Crumble PieI’ve said it before – I’m not so whoopie on pumpkin stuff, but it’s “traditional” so I was set on making a pumpkin pie. However, somehow I got the idea of a nut streusel-type topping for it. I must have been looking at recipes with streusel or something. Well, it turned out to be a good addition to the pie – just enough crunch and a little extra flavor for a pie that’s typically simple.

With the extra step of the topping it takes a bit more effort to make this pie, but according to my mama, it’s “so light and fluffy! It’s the perfect pie.” I’ll take her word for it; she really likes pumpkin pie! I tasted it but didn’t love it, mostly because it wasn’t a chocolate pie.  :) I expect my daughter will love it – she’s the family pumpkin queen. If you like pumpkin, I bet you’ll love it too!

Pumpkin Pecan Crumble Pie

Adapted from Food Network.com

Stuff you need:

1 unbaked pie crust [Use your favorite recipe or buy one. Follow directions on package to prepare, but do not pre-bake crust.]

Filling:

2 eggs, beaten
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk [I used light. I don't think fat-free would be good in this but I could be wrong.]

Pecan Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Now what?

Filling:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat eggs until frothy [probably about 5 minutes]. Add all remaining ingredients in order given [one at a time], beating only until well blended.
Pour filling into crust.
Bake for 35-40 minutes. [The original recipe said to bake for 35 minutes and then add the topping, but my topping sank. Try it out with just a few pieces and see what happens. If most of it stays on top, you're good.]

Topping:

Combine topping ingredients.
Remove pie from oven and sprinkle topping over filling. [Or gently pull the oven rack out enough to put on the topping and then gently push the rack back in. No need to remove the pie.]
Return pie to oven and bake 15-25 minutes more or until center is set.
If crust is getting too brown, cover with foil (with the center cut out) or pie crust shield.
Ovens vary, so you’ll have to keep an eye on the pie to see when it’s done. Mine took 60-70 minutes total.

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Peanut Butter Carmelitas

Filed under: Baking, Dessert!, Munchies Mind — Leave a comment
November 20, 2012

Peanut Butter CarmelitasI love Oatmeal Carmelitas. The combination of caramel, chocolate, and oatmeal in a bar is irresistible to me!

It had been quite a while since I made a batch, and while looking for a peanut butter and chocolate dessert to make for my friend Amie’s birthday, I ran across the recipe. The thought of these made my mouth water, and I started trying to figure out how to work peanut butter into the recipe. After a little thought, I had it – peanut butter caramel! After all, the peanut butter caramel in the Knock You REALLY Naked Brownies was fantastic, so it should be delish in Carmelitas too, right?

I adapted a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Pillsbury: Best of the Bake-Off Cookbook, published in 1996. Just about everything I’ve tried from this cookbook is a winner. The hard work was already done by the Bake-Off contestant, but I think I took a really good recipe and made it even better!

Peanut Butter Carmelitas

Stuff you need:

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups margarine or butter, softened [2 1/2 sticks]

Filling

1 (12.5 oz.) jar (1 cup) caramel ice cream topping

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Now what?

Heat oven to 350F. Grease 13 x 9inch pan and set aside.

In large bowl, mix all ingredients at low speed until crumbly.

Press half of crumb mixture, about 3 cups, in bottom of greased pan. Reserve remaining crumb mixture for topping.

Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, microwave peanut butter for about 20 seconds. Remove from microwave and slowly stir in caramel and 3 T flour.

Add 1/2 cup peanuts to remaining crumb mixture and mix well.

Remove partially baked crust from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture. [There's enough caramel mixture to pour over the crust and cover most of it.]

Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake at 350F for an additional 22 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely then refrigerate 1 – 2 hours until filling is set.

Cut into bars.

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Fresh Apple Cake

Filed under: Baking, Dessert!, Easy, Fruit, Munchies Mind, Quick! — 4 Comments
November 16, 2012

Fresh Apple CakeHow about a quick and easy apple cake? The most time-consuming part about this is chopping up the apples. If you’re lazy like me, don’t bother to peel them. Just wash them well, and start chopping!

I used Granny Smith apples because that’s what I had in the house. Use your favorite kind, or a mixture of sweet with tart. I didn’t chop the apples too much because I like to have pieces in my cake. However, if you don’t like biting into apple chunks, dice them finer.Fresh Apple Cake!

The batter will be very thick. That’s fine – just make sure you’ve got the dry ingredients mixed evenly with the wet ingredients before smooshing the batter into the pan.

Make a 9 x 13 pan or split the batter into two 9×9 cake pans and keep one for yourself, and share the other with friends.

Fresh Apple Cake

Adapted from Midwest Living

Stuff you need:
3 cups flour [I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all-purpose flour.]
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sale
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 medium Granny Smith apples, washed and chopped [Peel if that's your preference - or you're not as lazy as I am.]
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Powdered sugar for dusting

Now what?

Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan or 2 9×9-inch baking pans; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; make a well in center of dry mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil and vanilla; stir in apples and nuts.

Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened (batter will be stiff). Smoosh batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. If you like, dust with powdered sugar or top each serving with sweetened whipped cream and an apple slice.

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