Category: Recipes

Recipes

French Apple Cake

French Apple Cake

Packed with apples, custardy topped with cake like top
Print Recipe
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 Lbs. Granny Smith Apples Peeled, cut into 8 wedges and sliced into 1/8 slices
  • 1 tbsp. Calvados
  • 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
  • 5 Oz Flour
  • 2 Tbsp. Flour
  • 7 Oz Sugar
  • 2 Tsp Sugar
  • 2 Tsp Baking Powder Don't mix up with Baking Soda, results will be a mess
  • ½ Tsp salt
  • 1 Ea Egg
  • 2 Ea Egg Yolks
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Oil If you find cake too oily cut back to 7/8 cup
  • 1 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Confectioners' Sugar For dusting finished cake

Instructions
 

  • The microwaved apples should be pliable but not completely soft when cooked. To test for doneness, take one apple slice and try to bend it. If it snaps in half, it’s too firm; microwave it for an additional 30 seconds and test again. If Calvados is unavailable, 1 tablespoon of apple brandy or white rum can be substituted.
    1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Place prepared pan on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
    Place apple slices into microwave-safe pie plate, cover, and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Toss apple slices with Calvados and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes.
    2. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.
    Whisk egg, oil, milk, and vanilla together in second bowl until smooth.
    Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined.
    Transfer 1 cup batter to separate bowl and set aside.
    3. Add egg yolks to remaining batter and whisk to combine.
    Using spatula, gently fold in cooled apples.
    Transfer batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges, gently pressing on apples to create even, compact layer, and smooth surface.
    4. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons flour into reserved batter.
    Pour over batter in pan and spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface.
    Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over cake.
    5. Bake until center of cake is set, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top is golden brown, about 1¼ hours. The toothpick test can give false results. Best results is use an instant read thermometer, 205 F (96 C) seems to be a good target for doneness.
    Transfer pan to wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges, and serve.

Notes

Original Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated 
Keyword Apples, Cake, Custardy

Snickerdoodles

Snicker-doodles

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 30 Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 319 grams unbleached all-purpose flour 2.25 cups
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened but still cool See post about room temperature
  • 50 grams vegetable shortening 1/4 cup
  • 298 grams granulated Sugar 1.5 cups
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature see post about room temperature
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar for rolling dough
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon for rolling dough

Instructions
 

  • Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions
    Preheat oven to 400°F
    Line baking sheets with parchment paper if desired
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, shortening and 298 grams of sugar on medium speed until well combined, 1 to 1½ minutes.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and beat again until combined, about 30 seconds.
  • Add in the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds.
  • Using spatula or large spoon give dough a final mix to catch any stray flour.
  • If kitchen is warm and/or dough appears a bit 'loose' put dough in refrigerator for 20 minutes or so to firm it up
  • In a small, shallow bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon for rolling the dough. Stir or shake well to combine.
  • Fill a #50 scoop with dough scraping it flat. Eject dough and roll top portion of ball in cinnamon sugar mixture. Don't coat the flat portion of ball. Place on cookie sheet flat side down approximately 2 inches a part.
  • Bake until the edges of the cookies are beginning to set and the center are soft and puffy, 9-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. (if using a convection oven the switching and rotating of sheets may not be needed)
  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

If not using a scoop roll dough into a ball about 1.5 inches in diameter.  When rolling still try to keep the “bottom” free for mixture.
Varying the baking time just 30 seconds either way will change the texture of the cookie significantly.  Reduce time to get a little bit chewier texture.  Increase if you like more crispness.
Cookies will absorb humidity quickly so best to put into a sealed plastic bag or other air tight container as soon as cooled.
Cookies do last if kept in a sealed plastic bag or other air tight container.  Haven’t had them last long enough to see just how long they keep though.