Baked Apples

After the long week that we've all endured, I decided I'd put my slow cooker to overuse. I honestly could not muster the energy or concentration to cook anything. I wanted to churn out meals that required as little prep and focus as possible. So, my slow cooker resumed its fixed place on my counter top and I started my week of slow cookery with Baked Apples. I specifically remember Mom making baked apples often during those cool fall days. However, she baked them in a beaten up cake pan in our oven, not in the porcelain pot of an electric … [Read more...]

Apple Butter

I always loved going apple picking with my kids when they were toddlers.  It was a fall activity we wouldn't miss once the bathing suits were packed away and the routine of school finally kicked in. However, now that my kids are older, our weekends are jam-packed with sports and other social activities.  Sadly, for me, apply picking and pumpkin picking have moved away from the trees at the orchards and have moved to the farm stands dotting the New York City streets. But, I'm always happy when I get freshly-picked apples direct from the … [Read more...]

Apple Clafoutis

When I first started cooking for this blog over four years ago, I would get in the habit of circling all of the words in the recipes that were completely meaningless to me.  Among them: parboiled, pin prick, blanched and CLAFOUTIS. Four years later, I’ve since parboiled, pin pricked, blanched and made Clafoutis! At the time, Clafloutis sounded more like some sort of tree fungus rather than a celebrated baked custard French dessert.  Apparently, a traditional Clafoutis contains cherries arranged in a buttered dish covered with a thick … [Read more...]

Thanksgiving Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Today it’s the Secret Recipe Club reveal day. I’m honored to be a part of this diverse international group of food bloggers.  In case you forgot, everyone in the Secret Recipe Club gets “assigned” a blog from which we are supposed to pick a dish to cook.  But, it’s all done in secrecy.  It isn’t until the ultimate reveal day (today) that everyone showcases the dishes and discovers who’s been their secret foodie link.  This club has provided me valuable exposure to blogs I might not otherwise encounter. My November assignment was K&K … [Read more...]