Apple Crumble without the crumble!

I've been having trouble keeping up with my posts of late. There's a backlog of photos in my PC and some recipes I can't even remember. I've said this before and I'll keep saying it. Life gets in the way sometimes...

Time is always something that one never has enough off. Another thing that one can never get enough off is desserts! Just the other day, the kids asked The Lovely Wife if she could make them some Apple Crumble as she does make a mean Apple Crumble. She replied that Apple Crumble was only nice with Ice Cream and since both of them were having a little bit of a cough, The Lovely Wife said it wouldn't be such a good idea.

Now I have never equated Ice Cream with being bad for a cough or cold but I know a lot of people who subscribe to that thought that cold things are not good for coughs and colds. So no iced water, no cold drinks and no Ice Cream.

So rather than argue with The Lovely Wife, and risk giving the kids Ice Cream and finding that they DID get sick, I decided I'd just make them a dessert to enjoy after lunch. Apple Crumble without the Crumble!




I quickly pared and halved some Granny Smith apples and dusted them with a load of cinammon and brown sugar. I then left them to bake in the oven while I whizzed up some Caramel. As soon as the caramel was nice and amber, I pulled the pan out of the oven, poured the caramel over it and let the apples bake a little longer till they were nice and tender.

Ingredients
4 Granny Smith Apples - pared, cored and halved
2 tsps Cinammon
4 tsps Brown Sugar

5 Tbsp Castor Sugar
2 Tbsp water

Method
Coat the apples in the mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. Place in a baking dish and bake in a 220C oven for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the caramel by heating the sugar and water till the mixture caramelises. Quickly remove the baking dish and pour the caramel over the apples. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or till apples are tender. Take care not to overbake or the apples will lose their shape and become mushy.

The kids were happy to have their dessert and they loved the caramel goodness over the tart taste of the apples. The cinnamon and sugar gave it a lovely aroma and taste as well while the juices from the apples mixed really well with the caramel.



I only regret not making more of this as the kids really, really enjoyed it. Best thing is, this would go really well with Ice Cream too. Maybe the next time when The Lovely Wife isn't around...or maybe I should just make sure they don't have a cough!

Apple Cinnamon muffins

One of the things that I made for Michael's 8th Birthday was Apple Cinnamon Muffins. I've made these before but never posted about them. Both my children love muffins and cupcakes. To be honest, I dont really know what the difference is between Muffins and Cupcakes. I know that cupcakes usually have icing on them but then a cake without icing is still a cake!

I also know that muffins are generally 'heavier' than cupcakes but really, is there a difference?

Anyway, rather than worry about semantics, I made these muffins simply because they are delicious and the Children love them. A few of The Lovely Wife's friends enjoyed these too a few weeks ago when they came to visit.




This is how I make my Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

Ingredients
250 g Butter
230 g Brown Sugar
4 Eggs
4 tbsp Milk
1 Tbsp Honey
2 tsp Vanilla
250 g Flour
3 tsp Baking Powder
3 Large Apples
1 tbsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Method
Pare the apples and cut into small squares
Mix Cinnamon, sugar and Apples together, coating well. Set Aside
Cream butter and Sugar till light and fluffy
Add eggs a little at a time and continue beating
Fold in Sifted flour and baking powder
Add in Honey, Milk and Vanilla. Mix Well
Fold in Apples ensuring it is well mixed
Fill muffin cups ¾ full and bake in 190°C oven for 20-25 minutes or till done

Very easy to make, very easy to eat and very delicious too - not to mention healthy! The kids had the leftover muffins for breakfast the next day while we also gave some away to some of our guests - who were really all family anyway!

Strudels are forever

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

---

"Bond, someone has stolen the Ancient Strudel from the AltStadthaus in Munich." M explained. "The Germans's are frantic"

"Ahh, I would be too if you called London by another name. I do believe M, with all due respect, that Munich is actually Munchen. You really should revisit the Diplomacy 101 course, M. I believe its now available online too." Replied Bond with a little smirk.


"Damn it and confound it Bond." M spat out. "This is Not the time to worry about semantics. I say Potayto, you say Po-tah-to. I say Munich, the Germans say Munchen. I dont really care Bond, not when the Ancient Strudel is missing, Bond" She emphasised the last 'Bond' and James detected a little bit of distaste in the way she spat out his name.

"Well, I'd love to help M, but you see, I have the shingles." Bond replied softly.

"James. You've always been single as far as I've known. And since when did you develop such a terrible lisp?"

"No, No M, No! I've got a case of the Shingles. You know, that chicken pox virus that stays in your system and then breaks out when you least expect it?" Bond explained. "Thats what I've got. A bad case of the shingles."

"Ahhh. I see." M replied. "You've got Shingles. I thought you were complaining about the fact that you are Single..."

"Well, I must admit that I do worry about that sometimes M. I mean just the other day, I was with Marye and she suggested playing doctor... but as soon as she saw my Shingles, she made a beeline for the door. Matter of fact, no one wants to play doctor with me nowadays M, not when I have the Shingles."

Bond caught Moneypenny glancing over at him but then shaking her head. Confound it! Even Moneypenny wasn't giving him the time of day... Blast these damn shingles!

To cut a long story short, it appears that the Ancient Strudel was 'taken' by the Daring Bakers for the May Challenge and was returned in one piece much to the happiness of the Germans.

Fortunately I didnt get struck with Shingles until AFTER I had made the Strudel and I thought it would be a good laugh to write a post related to Bond having the shingles. So with my little Bond lark completed, on to how the challenge turned out.

I have to admit that I had a little trouble with getting the dough tissue thin. I also wasnt sure what the consistency of the dough should have been as I found that even after resting, the dough was rather sticky and it stuck to the tablecloth that I used. I worked in more flour into the cloth and managed to get the dough rather thin - but perhaps not as tissue thin as it should have been. I dont know! Also, it is definitely not easy supporting the dough with your forearms while stretching it. Hairy ForeArms are not a good thing to have!!! Fortunately, no hair was lost in the making of this strudel...


Also, I decided to make one long strudel and two smaller ones. So I divided the dough out and rolled them separately. I also made a mistake for the large strudel. In my haste to get everything done, I forgot to coat the rolled out dough with butter and breadcrumbs. Dummy! I did do it though for the smaller rolls and the pastry was much nicer with the butter on it. The breadcrumbs also helped to separate the layers nicely.



Although the Strudel was tasty and also a lot of fun to make, it wasn't that well received by my taste testers. They all liked it, bit it didn't get rave reviews not requests for more the next day. I ended up eating most of the strudel!



There IS a reason for this that I will explain. You see, The Lovely Wife makes a KILLER apple pie and also a KILLER Apple Crumble. So when you compared this to those two - well, no contest really.




Nonetheless, I am very proud to say that I can now make a strudel - and an authentic one at that. Not those made with puff pastry and sliced in half and sandwhiched with cream and apples!!

Thankyou Coco and Linda for this wonderful challenge - it was certainly a lot of fun!

Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes

15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Tips
- Ingredients are cheap so we would recommend making a double batch of the dough, that way you can practice the pulling and stretching of the dough with the first batch and if it doesn't come out like it should you can use the second batch to give it another try;
- The tablecloth can be cotton or polyster;
- Before pulling and stretching the dough, remove your jewelry from hands and wrists, and wear short-sleeves;
- To make it easier to pull the dough, you can use your hip to secure the dough against the edge of the table;
- Few small holes in the dough is not a problem as the dough will be rolled, making (most of) the holes invisible.

Apple Nut Squares and the Red Hatters

One of the greatest joys of The Lovely Wife is to while away the afternoon at a bookstore. Even more of a joy is when said bookstore is having a clearance sale and she can search for good bargains! One afternoon, not too long ago, she bought a couple of books at a sale and nested in between all of them was this dessert cookbook. The book is Eat Dessert First! from the Red Hat Society Dessert Cookbook series. I had to laugh a little at the book simply because I knew that The Lovely Wife had No Idea what the the Red Hat Society is and I couldn't quite imagine her in a purple dress and a red hat! The only reason I know who the Red Hatters are is only because I watch (and enjoy!) The Simpsons...but I digress as I oft do.




Since I am usually the one making desserts for the family, The Lovely Wife decided she was going to try one of the recipes from this new found book. My son is partial to fruit based desserts and so she picked Apple Nut Squares to make. This is the recipe:

3 Large Eggs
1.75 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
4 to 6 red apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, blend eggs, sugar and oil. Set aside. In a medium bolw, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine the flour mixtre with the egg mixture and stir until thouroughly mixed. Fold in the apple and the nuts and mix well. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a wooden skewere comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. Sprinkle with icing sugar if desired.

We served this with Ice Cream and it was just super!



The Lovely Wife now knows who the Red Hat Society is, we both have a new cookbook to share and I personally think it is great to have a bunch of older ladies wearing purple dresses and red hats having a lot of fun throughout the world. I keep kidding the wife that she should start thinking about purple dresses and red hats but she keeps reminding me that I will turn 50 before she does. So maybe I should start thinking about red shirts and purple pants... or maybe not!

Apple Pie and a new Camera

Last weekend, we were supposed to be somewhere to do something but the kids were really tired and as a result Highly Cranky! I decided to go alone to do the something somewhere and while I was away, the lovely wife took it upon herself to cheer up the kids with some of her fabulous Apple Pie.

The kids were still in the Ratatouille (the movie and not the food) mood and so they decided to decorate the pie using our cookie cutters for the leftover dough. In case you can't figure it out, the top most figure is a mouse while the bottom is a heart. Thus you get Mice Cheese Love. Don't ask me why my wife didn't put it in the proper order of Mice Love Cheese but I'm sure there is a logical explanation that involves the bright ideas of two wide eyed kids!

Anyway, the smell of luscious Apple Pie greeted me as I walked back into the house and the crankiness of the two kids had loooong disappeared. It's amazing how the promise of dessert - and especially Apple Pie - can act as comfort food.

The pie was supposed to sit to rest for about an hour or so but the impatient, beady little eyes of the Apple Pie Vultures caused us to cut the pie almost as soon as it was out of the oven. I must say it was certainly delicious.

The next day, we were out shopping and I decided I was going to buy myself a new camera! Yes, I had had my own beady little eyes on a Digital SLR for the longest time. After using my trusty Canon Powershot S30 for amost 6 years, and having wanted an SLR for almost 25 years, I finally decided I was going to splurge and get myself the Canon EOS 400D. Yeah, say what you want, but I have a soft spot for the Canon.

So I brought home the 400D and decided I was going to test it out straight away on another slice of Apple Pie. That way, I also got to have another piece on the excuse that I was actually just testing out the camera. I should have used the same plate setting but I was really just too lazy. So these are pics with the New Camera.




I think it makes a world of difference having a good camera and I'm hoping my photos will improve tremendously. Or maybe I'll just have to accept that I need to hone my skills a lot more and it's really not the camera that is causing bad pictures......

Whatever it is, I loved my wife's Apple Pie and I love my new Camera!