Recipe: Applesauce Cake

My dear gardening sister and dear friend Sheila (aka Gypsy Biscuit) both make homemade applesauce. Homemade! And, all I can say to that is – I don’t make homemade applesauce. (hanging head). If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying homemade applesauce – well, so sorry for you. The fresh apple taste can’t be beat. And, their applesauce makes me think of this applesauce cake. Oh, it is very good with a rich, sweetened store bought applesauce – but WOW! I can only imagine what it would taste like if I had a jar of homemade applesauce to make it with. Hmmmm! That gives me an idea. I’ll have to steal some homemade applesauce this weekend while visiting my sister in Overland Park, Kansas. (I’m heading up there for our annual Sister’s Christmas Shopping Extravaganza.) Either way, homemade or not – sweet, delicious applesauce cake. Simple ingredients. Quick. Easy. Wonderful. Nuf’ said. Try it this holiday season.

Applesauce Cake

1 1/2 cups HOT, sweetened applesauce (make sure the label reads ‘sweetened’)
1/2 cup butter (stir into hot applesauce)
1 cup sugar
2 2/3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins (I like using half golden and half regular raisins)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into a greased and lined (with wax paper) tube pan or a greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until done.

(PS: Drizzle with honey or sweetenen condensed milk mixed with applesauce if you want some frosting of some sort. But I love it plain.)

Y’all Enjoy! 21 days until Christmas

Recipe: Apple Crisp

You know how it goes. There’s always a guest or two who, for one reason or another, doesn’t like the dessert or they’re allergic to something in the dessert. There you are, the hostess without the most-est. And, for whatever reason, you ran out of time to make another dessert. After all, you were cooking turkey, dressing, your grandmother’s green bean casserole recipe, and the sweet potatoes. Oh yeah! Been there. Done that. Not to worry. Make this recipe. Quick. Easy. Warm. Ooey-gooey apple and cinnamon Da-Lish-C-ocity. Especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, which you probably had some anyway to go on top of the pecan pie.

Apple Crisp

4 apples, peel, core and slice
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter

Butter the baking dish and place apples in the dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Blen flour, sugar, butter and water together to form crumb mixture. Spread over apples and bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

(Mimi’s note at the bottom of the page in ‘the book’: Peaches may be substituted in this recipe for the apples. Use 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg when using peaches.)

Y’all Enjoy!

Recipe: Mimi’s Apple Pie

Good Old-fashion Apple Pie! Nothing smells more wonderful while this baby bakes in the oven. Want to see them smile, make this pie. Want your grown kids or grand-kids to come over more often. Make this pie. No, seriously. Make this pie!

Mimi’s Apple Pie

6 cups sliced, tart apples (I use granny smith apples and one sweet apple. The sweet apple makes a lot of juice.)
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. butter

Place sliced apples in an unbaked pie shell. Mix dry ingredients and sprinkle over the apples. Dot with butter and cover with a top crust. Seal edges and cut slits in the top of crust. Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.

Pure Yumminess! Y’all enjoy.