Mom's Jewish Apple Cake

So no we're not Jewish. In fact, I was tempted to rename this, Mom's Italian Apple Cake, since we are in fact, Italian-Americans. But I need to give credit where credit is due and unfortunately Italian's can't claim this deliciously moist, rich and fruity cake. Darn.

I don't know who, where or how my mom came into possession of this particular recipe for Jewish Apple Cake, but it's been in her Land-o-Lakes recipe box for decades. Fortunately, the tattered index card is in a protective plastic sleeve so we're still able to enjoy this recipe as often as possible. She's made it countless times for birthdays, neighbors, friends and even a bake sale or two. It's a fairly simple cake to make and it turns out nearly perfect every time. And what makes it even more perfect is when it is made with locally grown, fresh-picked Maryland orchard apples.

I visited a local pick-your-own apple farm a few weekends ago and came home armed with a large bag of Ida Red apples - good for eating, but perfect for baking. These tart, yet sweet apples remain nice and crisp through the baking process and end up with a toothy bite.

They are really the perfect balance of tart, sweet and crisp that you need for a pie or cake. And this cake nestles these delicious apples in a cinnamon-sugar mixture and then envelopes them in dense and intensely moist batter. On top of that, I fortunately, had enough apples to make a hearty apple pie in addition to the apple cake. Gosh I love Fall!! And speaking of apples, here's a pic of the "apple" of my eye, my sweet baby girl :)

She's loving Fall too and I love all the great cutie patootie outfits out there for little babies. I love my girl and love dressing her up! That's her in her first pair of jeans and flannel for the season. Hats off to Fall! There's so many wonderful foods to come - squash, pumpkins, brussel sprouts, turkey, cheesecakes, soups. Strap on those elastic waistbands and let the fall eating begin!! Why not start with this cake? Enjoy!

Jewish Apple Cake


For the apples:
5 to 6 apples, cored, peeled and sliced thinly
3/4 cup sugar
2 tb cinnamon

For the batter:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup orange or pineapple juice
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a tube pan for baking.
In a large bowl, toss your sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon and set aside. In a separate small bowl, mix together your dry ingredients - the flour, salt and baking powder. Then in a large mixing bowl combine your juice, eggs and oil until combined. Pour in the sugar and extract and mix until well incorporated. Now in your prepared tube pan, layer batter then apples then batter then apples and finishing up with a layer of batter. If you have any juices that have collected from your apples simply pour them into the cake once your done building up the layers. These sweet, cinnamony juices will contribute to the moistness of the cake.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the cake fills the tube pan and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan and then remove and serve.

Homemade Apple Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream

I don't think you get any closer to a "from scratch" pie than this. First of all - I picked the apples myself. That's right! Right from the tree. We have a local pick-your-own farm in my county and myself and a friend spent the afternoon picking Red Delicious and Jonagold apples.

I used the beautiful tart and sweet Jonagolds for this pie and I think it had to be one of the best apple pies I have ever made. These were the perfect apples for pie.

On top of picking my own apples, I made the crust from scratch as well. I know, ambitious right?? Are you impressed yet? Well, it doesn't stop there my friends. I went on to make some homemade cinnamon ice cream to dollop up on top of this apple laden monstrosity.

I know, I know. Please no applause :) And aren't you feeling lucky today? I'm going to share all three recipes with you! Unfortunately the pie was eaten so fast by my family that I only got a picture of my piece. And it was hard to take pictures of the crust making process when your hands are covered in flour. I really need to look into getting myself an assistant!

Anyway, on to the good stuff. I used three cookbooks to make this dessert, trekked through bee-laden apple orchards and kneaded mounds of pie crust and I'll tell you what. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat for another bite of this biblically sinful fruit-filled pie. The ice cream alone is worth the effort. It's super creamy and rich, so you barely need more than a small scoop to satisfy. The cinnamon flavor is not too intense either. Enjoy!

Easy As Pie Crust
Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 3/4 cups solid vegetable shortening (I used butter) cut into cubes
1/2 cup ice cold water
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or cider vinegar

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles course meal. In a small bowl using a fork, mix together the water, egg, and lemon juice or vinegar until blended. Add the water mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a fork until it comes together and forms a mass.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface gathering all the loose bits and divide into 5 equal balls. Flatten to form disks, wrap each individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before rolling out. Double wrap, label and freeze any dough you won't use. Thaw in refrigerator. The dough can be frozen for up to one month.

Homemade Apple Crumb Pie
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

1 recipe for pastry crust
8 cups of thinly sliced, peeled apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 tb flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

For the crumb topping:
Stir together 1/2 cup flour and a 1/2 cup packed brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Using a pastry blender cut in 3 tablespoons of butter till the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on top of your filled pie before baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To assemble the pie, first roll out your pastry crust and line a 9-in deep dish pie plate. Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice. In a large mixing bowl stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the apple slices. Gently toss until coated.

Transfer the apple mixture to the pie plate. Cover with your crumb topping. Bake for an hour or until the juice that begins to bubble in the pie is thick and syrupy. If you remove your pie too early, when the juice is thin and watery, then your apples won't be fully cooked. Serve hot or cold with your favorite ice cream.

Cinnamon Ice Cream
The Perfect Scoop, David Leibowitz


1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
10 3-in cinnamon sticks, broken up
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks and 1 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan. Once warm, cover, remove from the heat and let steep at room temperature for an hour.
Rewarm the cinnamon infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard them. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.
In a separate medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stire, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge then freeze in your ice cream maker.

Platinum Chef Challenge #9: My recipes

While I'm not officially "in the running", I still couldn't resist coming up with some new recipe ideas for this challenge's secret ingredients that I chose:
Sage
Apples
Mushrooms
Bacon
Shallots
We've got some really good entries! If anyone still wants to enter let me know either by a comment or an email. I can extend the deadline one last week since I know a lot of people were still interested but ran out of time. Thanks to all those who got their entries in! They all look so tasty. The original post can be found here (includes the "rules"):
Platinum Chef Challenge #9

My two recipes were:
Apple Shallot Couscous with Sage and Toasted Pine Nuts
Spinach and Mushroom Bake with Bacon

Apple Shallot Couscous with Sage and Toasted Pine Nuts
Couscous, following package directions for 2-4 servings, boil in chicken or beef broth
1 apple, I used red delicious, chopped
2 shallots, sliced thinly
1/2 onion, chopped
6 fresh sage leaves, chiffonaded
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to your taste
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
3/4 cup pine nuts

Prepare your couscous according to package directions and then set aside, covered to keep warm. In a medium skillet, place your chopped apple, onion, shallots, sage leaves, olive oil and two tablespoons of butter. Cook until the shallots have softened and the apple starts releasing it's juices. Mix in the spices and stir to coat. Add another tablespoon of butter along with your chicken broth. Let the broth come to a simmer and allow it to thicken to a saucy consistency. In a smaller skillet over medium low heat, toast your pine nuts until brown. Be very careful not to burn them! They can burn very easily. Watch them and toss them in the skillet continuously.
Finally combine your prepared couscous with the apple shallot mixture and toss to coat. Add the final tablespoon of butter. Then stir in your toasted pinenuts, season with salt and pepper if needed and serve!


Spinach Mushroom Bake with Bacon
Adapted from the Costco cookbook's Spinach Bake

1 16-oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess water
3 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
1 small onion, minced
6 slices of bacon, chopped
5 fresh sage leaves, chiffonaded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 cups of swiss cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
splash of half and half or milk
1 1/2 cups of cream of mushroom soup (this was PERFECT! I used leftovers from this Barefoot Bloggers recipe that I had in the fridge)
paprika for sprinkling on the top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set your spinach aside. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet saute your mushrooms, onions, chopped bacon and sage in olive oil until all elements are slightly cooked. Turn off heat and mix the ingredients with your prepared spinach. Once the mixture has cooled slightly you can then mix in a cup of your grated swiss cheese and a 1/4 cup of your grated parmesan cheese. In a small bowl, whisk together your eggs with a splash of half and half or milk. Pour into your spinach mixture and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally mix in your creamy mushroom soup and lay the mixture out into a baking pan. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of swiss and 1/4 cup of parmesan. Sprinkle lightly with paprika and pop in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly. Serve.


I served this with grilled tuna topped with a dijon rosemary white wine sauce .

For the sauce I combined the following:
3 shallots, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

Saute your shallots in olive oil and about halfway through add your rosemary. Saute until the rosemary begins to soften then deglaze the pan with your beef broth and wine. Bring to a simmer, add the dijon mustard and butter and allow the sauce to thicken a bit. Season with salt and pepper and then pour over your grilled chicken, fish or meat.

Barefoot Bloggers: Apple Turnovers

I wasn't going to make these, since the last thing I need hanging around the house are apple turnovers, but I ended up going to the beach last minute with my mom, aunt and a few of my aunt's friends, so they made the perfect easy breakfast treat for a crowd.

These were so simple to make, quite delicious to eat and even easier to freeze the leftovers. I really liked the addition of the cherries with the apples. They gave it a tart bite. And, just as a side note, frozen pre-made puff pastry is probably one of the greatest time savers in the world. It tastes great and always turns out beautifully. I don't really like to bake, but these were so effortless it didn't even feel like work.
One thing - I had A LOT of extra filling at the end. I made the turnovers at a pretty late hour and hadn't made any plans for the extra filling ahead of time and so at 11:30 at night I wasn't feeling like doing any more baking. So due to my fatigue and lack of creativity, the extra went to waste - I hate to admit. So if you're going to make these either scale down the filling measurements a bit or have a plan for the extras.

Apple Turnovers

1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
3 tablespoons dried cherries
3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch kosher salt
1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Banana Apple Bread

Last weekend I had two of my best friends from college come in from Minnesota and one up from Northern Virginia to go to the Eastern Shore with me for the weekend. It's become a tradition. My dad has this great townhouse in Bethany Beach that he generously lets me use and so every summer I set aside two to three weekends for "girls weekends". Every year the crowd of friends grows bigger, my friends invite one of their friends, or I meet someone new who comes along (which at my age always amazes me! Not that I'm old, but it's hard to meet new people when you're not in school anymore). Anyway, it's become such a fun summer tradition and all my friends look forward to it. In April they start asking if I've chosen the "girls weekend" dates yet so they can make sure to set that time aside. You truly realize how important it is to keep in touch with your girlfriends. As much as we all love our husbands or SO's if we got 'em, there's nothing like good girl time to really set your spirits right.
We usually make it a pretty comprehensive weekend too - full of relaxation, some partying and tons of beach time. It's a blast!
Anyway, these two friends of mine couldn't make the other weekends, so we planned a later summer weekend just for the three of us. I wanted to bring down a breakfast bread that the we could enjoy in the mornings before heading off to enjoy the beach for the day. I found this on the Dinner and Dessert blog and it looked like a delicious twist on traditional banana bread. It turned out great and the girls really liked it. It was moist, flavorful and I really loved the addition of the apples. I baked it in a fall-themed loaf pan I received as a gift as well, adding to the fall feel. I hope you can enjoy it with your friends and loved ones too!

Banana Apple Bread (Source: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book)

For the apples:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon pure vanilla extract
(I also added a splash of Captain Morgan spiced rum to the apples and then let the alcohol cook off for some extra flavor - because we all have to have a little Captain in us! hee)

For the banana bread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups very ripe mashed bananas (2 to 3)

Before you start:
Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan.

To make the apples:
Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and brown sugar and heat until bubbling. Add the apples and cinnamon and sauté until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To make the banana bread:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the orange juice and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the orange juice mixture, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each flour addition. Stir in the mashed bananas until combined. Then stir in the reserved apples.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool further.

*Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The banana bread keeps well wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Defrost (still wrapped) at room temperature.