Apple Cake with a Cinnamon Crumble Top

Although summer is one of my favorite seasons, I think I’m ready for a new one.  Fall, with it crisp air, root vegetables and football games will be welcomed with opened arms.  But until the weather changes, I’m still in summer mode, searching for fall recipes and marking the one’s that will be tried out soon. 

But I needed to try just one that I had recently found.  The September Book Club was at my house, so it was a good enough reason to make a dessert.   The apple cake, almost a crisp, was so light and airy, it didn’t feel like a fall dessert, so this one would be perfect end-of-the- summer/early fall way to finish off a meal.

 

Apple Cake with a Cinnamon Crumble Top
Adapted from: Cooking After Five

cooking spray
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick & 4 tbsp softened, unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
2 green apples, peeled, cored & chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
2 tbsp confectioners sugar (optional)

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 4 tbsp softened butter.  Mix together until it turns into coarse crumbs.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 stick of softened butter and 1 cup of brown sugar until it’s light and fluffy.  Then, add the eggs one at at time, beating it well.  Slowly add in 2 cups of flour, baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp vanilla.  Then add in the sour cream, and mix well.  Finally, fold in the apple pieces.  Pour the batter into the baking dish.  Sprinkle the cake with the topping.

Preheat the over to 350ºF.  Bake the cake for 30-40 minutes.  Once it turned golden brown, remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes.

(Optional) When the cake is ready to be served, make the whipped cream.  Whip about 1 cup of heavy whipping cream using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, add confectioners sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla.  Mix until fluffy.  Top the cake with the whipped cream.

Tart Cherry Pie

This past Thursday, while I was wandering through our Farmer’s Market, I saw these cherries.

There was a sign right next to them, saying that this was their last week at the market…so I bought some!  Once I got home, we gave these a try- and they were sour.  Yikes!  Sam suggested doing a pie with them.  I’m not nuts about cherry pies because they are always so sweet, so at first I was a bit hesitant about the idea.  He promised that when he’d make the pie, it wouldn’t be so sweet.  So we gave it a try.

It turned out delicious- and the nice red color was perfect for the 4th of July weekend!  Hope you all had fantastic BBQ’s, pies and fireworks!

Tart Cherry Pie

1/2 lb tart cherries, pitted
2 cups of flour
1 1/2 sticks of butter, cold & diced
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 pinches of salt
1/4 cup of ice water

Filling:  In a mixing bowl, combine cherries, 1/4 brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 cup of flour.  Fold together and set aside in the refrigerator to macerate.

Topping: Add the following ingredients into the food processor: 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 stick of butter, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt.  Pulse the food processor until the mixture becomes crumbly.  Gently place mixture into a bowl, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Crust: In a food processor, add 1 cup of flour, 1 stick of butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt.  Turn on the food processor, and slowly add the water.  Stop the food processor when the dough becomes a ball.  Remove from food processor, and wrap the ball in saran wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Turn on the oven to 350°F.  When the dough is cold, place the dough on a well-floured board and roll out until approximately 1/8 inch thick.  Gently fold the dough in half, and transfer to a greased pie tin.  Unfold the dough, and cut away the excess from the edges.

Pour the filling into the pie, ensuring that it’s evenly distributed.  Top the filling with the topping (crumbly dough mixture) and place in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.  Take out from the oven when the crust is a gold brown color.

Butternut Squash Thai Curry

This is a great fall flavor, and fantastic for colder evenings.  Although we had used butternut squash, others can be used.  The heat of the dish can also be varied, depending on how many jalapenos are added.  The coconut milk gives it a creamy warming texture.

Butternut Squash Thai Curry
Adapted from: Love and Olive Oil Blog

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium butternut squash; peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 in pieces
1 cup veggie broth
1 cup water
1 jalapeno, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (12 oz) can of coconut milk (light or regular)
juice of 1 lime
12 oz Asian noodles (or Udon noodles)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
salt to taste

Heat oil on a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions garlic and jalapeno, saute for 5 minutes; until onion is translucent.  Add squash, and saute for another 5 minutes.  Add broth, bring to boil.  Cover and cook until squash is tender.  Stir in coconut milk, water, lime juice, curry powder, cinnamon and salt.  Simmer uncovered until squash is tender and liquid has reduced (5  minutes).

Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large pot, until tender.  Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and return to pot.  Then add squash mixture to noodles.  Toss to blend, divide into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro.