Dinner At Sheila's

It’s autumn and that means the farm stands and grocery bins are overflowing with the season’s bounty of apples…there are numerous varieties available and all at their peak flavor. 

When our boys were young and we were living in Chicago we took them apple picking at the local orchard every fall.  We went with a group of friends, who like us, found themselves transplanted in the mid-west from the east coast raising their young children.

We became family as well as friends celebrating holidays and birthdays together and enjoying such annual outings as pumpkin, apple and strawberry picking with the kids.

It was a good time for all, and through the years we’ve spoken of the fond memories we all still hold of our apple picking days.

One of the things I loved most about bringing home all those apples (or strawberries, depending on the season) was using them up.   And that meant apple pie, apple cake, apple sauce, caramel apples, apple crisp…  I could go on, but let’s stop at the apple crisp because I have found the most delicious and ingenious recipe for Skillet Apple Crisp in the September, 2010 issue of Cook’s Illustrated magazine.

I’ve adapted the recipe a bit.  I replaced walnuts for the pecans, my favorite Stayman* apples for the Golden Delicious variety, half of the white flour with white whole wheat flour,and some fresh nutmeg for the optional cinnamon called for in the recipe.

*Stayman is an all-purpose apple. Its rich, sweet-tart flavor makes it a good eating apple. Stayman’s firm texture holds its shape when cooked, making it excellent for cooking and baking.

What I love about Cook’s Illustrated is that they take a popular basic recipe, analyze any potential flaws in the ingredients or technique and arrive at a  solution that turns  a decent dish into a great one!  (check out my previous post on their Ultimate Banana Bread)

Here is how they turned an ordinary apple crisp into an extraordinary apple crisp…

3 Steps To Great Apple Crisp

Traditional  apple crisp is never terrible, but it’s often flawed by unevenly cooked apples and a topping more mushy than crisp.

1.  Create Apple Concentrate

Reducing cider and adding it to the filling concentrates the fruity flavor, even when apples are out of season.

2.  Create Caramelized Apples

Sauteing sugared apples in butter contributes caramelized flavor and allows for stirring, so slices turn out evenly cooked.

3.  Transfer To Oven

Just 15 minutes at 450 degrees browns the topping without overcooking the apples and keeps the topping from turning mushy.

And now…the recipe…

Skillet Apple Crisp (adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, September, 2010)

Topping

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, or (half white flour and half white whole wheat flour measuring 3/4 cup)

3/4 cup pecans, chopped fine (I used  walnuts)

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 pounds Golden Delicious apples (about 7 medium), peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick  wedges (I used 4 large Stayman apples)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) (I used 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg)

1 cup apple cider

2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

1.  For The Topping:  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine flour, pecans or walnuts, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl.  Stir in butter until mixture is thoroughly moistened and crumbly.  Set aside while preparing fruit filling.

2.  For The Filling: Toss apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon (if using) or nutmeg together in large bowl; set aside. 

Bring cider to simmer in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes.  Transfer reduced cider to bowl or measuring cup; stir in lemon juice and set aside.

3.  Heat butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat.  When foaming subsides, add apple mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until apples begin to soften and become translucent, 12 to 14 minutes.  (Do not fully cook apples.)

Remove pan from heat and gently stir in cider mixture until apples are coated.

4.  Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks.

Place skillet on baking sheet and bake until fruit is tender and topping is deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.

A reader recently commented that she loved my Mom’s Banana Sour Cream Cake and was hoping I would post more of her cakes, specifically her apple cake for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

As I am in the midst of cooking and baking for the holidays I decided to post this now for those looking for a delicious holiday cake…my Mom’s Viennese Apple Cake.  Layers of apples and cinnamon are suspended in a moist cake fragrant with the scent of orange juice and vanilla.

As I mentioned before my mother could produce a prize worthy cake faster than anyone I know and with less drama.  Her recipes were simple and to the point, and for the most part she omitted any details of technique. 

To show her “less is more attitude” I am posting Mom’s Viennese Apple Cake  below just as she had given it to me.

I will aslo give some additional pointers as some guidance especially for the more inexperienced bakers. 

And for all those novice bakers who become discouraged at times my best advice is if you like to bake keep baking, even if at times you are disappointed with the result. 

It’s in the doing that we learn by our mistakes and gain the confidence and skill to produce that prize worthy cake.

I’m sure in her past my mom must have had a cake that fell or a meringue that flopped, but by the time I came along she had learned her lessons well…I  knew her only as the remarkable baker she had become…and that should be an inspiration for us all!

 Mom’s Viennese Apple Cake

Ingredients:                                

3 c. flour

2c. sugar

4 eggs

 3 t. baking powder

4 apples, sliced thin, separate

2 and 1/2 t. vanilla

1 c. oil

1/2 c. orange juice

Mix together:

2 t. cinnamon

5 T. sugar

Directions:

Grease and flour 10inch tube pan.  Put in half batter, layer apples, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Add rest of batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Some additions to the above recipe:

4-5 apples, good for baking such as Braeburn, Macintosh, Rome, peeled and sliced thin

I added 1/2 teaspoon salt to dry ingredients

I increased the cinn-sugar mixture  to 2-3 t. cinnamon and 1/2 c sugar (you may not need it all)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 10inch tube pan.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the sliced apples and let sit.

Combine the flour, salt and baking powder together.  Set aside.

In an electric mixer beat the eggs and sugar well.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the oil, beginning and ending with the flour.

Add the orange juice, then the vanilla extract.  Beat til smooth and thoroughly mixed.

Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan.  Top with 1/3 of the apple slices.  Sprinkle with extra cinn-sugar mixture if you want.

Repeat with 2 more layers ending with a layer of apples on top.  Sprinkle any extra cinnamon sugar mixture on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 70 to 90 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before removing carefully to cool completely on a wire rack.

This cake may be wrapped well after completely cooled and stored in the freezer if you want to bake it in advance.

I know I mentioned in my last post that it was time to lighten up after all the rich holiday food we’ve eaten during the holidays. But, when I found myself with a few Cortland apples and one Granny Smith a bit past their prime, a small amount of salted caramel sauce (left over from the salted caramel apple pie from Thanksgiving)…yes, it really keeps that long in a covered container in the fridge, and enough heavy cream left in the quart container that was approaching its expiration date….what was I to do?  

It seemed only right that I put it all together, turning it into a Caramelized Baked Apple.  So easy and soooo gooood!

Caramelized Baked Apple

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Core the apple from the stem end, leaving the bottom intact.  If you don’t have an apple corer I’ve found a melon baller works great for this task.

Peel about an inch of skin from the stem end.

Place the apples in a baking dish and pour about an inch of apple cider or apple juice around the apples.

Bake for 20 to 40 minutes until tender.  This will vary depending on the size of the apples.

Place on serving dish, drizzle with caramel sauce, and serve with dollops of whipped cream.    Grab a spoon and dig in…