French Apple Cake

Photos Courtesy of Kirbie'sCravings

French Apple Cake | Kirbie's Cravings | A San Diego food blog sharing restaurant reviews and recipes:

Marie-Helene’s French Apple Cake

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 50 mins
Total time: 1 hour 10 mins
Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (it’s suggested you use 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and center a rack in the oven. Butter an 8 inch springform pan (I lined mine with parchment paper). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the springform pan on it. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.
Peel the apples, cut them in half, and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1 to 2 inch chunks.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, when it’s incorporated, add half of the melted butter, followed by the remaining flour mixture and butter. Mix in between additions so you have a smooth, thick batter.
Fold in the apples with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread with spatula so the batter is somewhat even.
Slide the pan in the oven and bake 50-60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for five minutes.

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Many thanks Kirbie’s Cravings!

Chocolate Caramel Apples with Salted Pretzels

PhotosCOurtesy of CHOW.com

Chocolate Caramel Apples with Salted Pretzels Recipe - CHOW

INGREDIENTS
For the apples:

* 8 large Granny Smith apples, at room temperature
* Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
* 8 craft sticks or chopsticks

For the coating:

* 3 cups crushed salted pretzel twists
* 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
* 2 cups packed light brown sugar
* 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS
For the apples:

1. Wash the apples under hot water to get off any wax coating, then dry thoroughly. Starting on the bottom, core the apples with the smaller scoop of a melon baller. Reserve the bottom “plugs” of the apples. Continue coring up to the top inch of the apples (you just want all the seeds removed). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Stuff the apples with about 2 tablespoons of the ganache, then close with the reserved apple plugs to seal. Push the sticks through the stem ends of the apples, and set the apples on the baking sheet.


For the coating:

1. Place the pretzels in a shallow dish; set aside. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a bowl halfway with ice and water.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until mixture registers 250°F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Immediately dip the bottom of the saucepan in the ice water bath and let it chill until the bubbles have subsided, about 1 minute. Stir until stiff caramel from the bottom is incorporated into the warm caramel on top. Remove from the water bath.
3. Dip apples one at a time into the caramel, rotating once to coat 3/4 of the way up the sides. Lift each apple straight up from the caramel, letting the excess drip back into the pot until the drips have slowed, about 10 to 15 seconds.
4. Roll the apple in the pretzels, and hold upright for 10 to 15 seconds. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining apples. (If the caramel gets too hard to coat the apples well, set the pan over low heat and rewarm, stirring constantly, until the caramel is loose and pourable.)
5. Refrigerate the apples until set, at least 10 minutes. The apples can be made and stored in the refrigerator up to 1 day in advance.


Many thanks CHOW.com!

Apple Pie

Apple Pie | Panlasang Pinoy

Ingredients:

2 Pastry doughs

1/2 cup butter, divided

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

6 to 8 pieces baking apples (granny smith’s); peeled, cored, and sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Watch the cooking video:

Cooking procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine apples, sugars, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon then mix well.

3. Set 1 pastry dough on a round cake or pie pan then put-in the apple mixture and arrange.

4. Distribute butter on top of the apple mixture.

5. Cover with the second pie crust then seal the edges.

6. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and serve.

8. Share and enjoy!

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Many, many thanks to PanlasangPinoy.com!!!

~ The Boy and the Apple Tree ~

(Photo by : northlite.50megs.com)

Here is a touching story.....

~ The Boy and the Apple Tree ~

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow…he loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by…the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come and play with me” the tree asked the boy. "I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more” the boy replied.
“I want toys. I need money to buy them.” “Sorry, but I do not have money… but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money.” The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.
One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited “Come and play with me” the tree said.
“I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?” “ Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.” So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me!” the tree said. “I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” said the man. "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.
Finally, the man returned after many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you …” the tree said. "No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite" the man replied. "No more trunk for you to climb on”
“I am too old for that now” the man said. "I really cannot give you anything... the only thing left is my dying roots” the tree said with tears. "I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years” the man replied. "Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, Come, come sit down with me and rest.” The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears…

The tree is like our parents
When we were young, we loved to play with our Mum and Dad...
When we grow up, we leave them…only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble.
No matter what,
parents will always be there and
give everything they could
just to make you happy.

You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how all of us treat our parents.
We take them for granted we don't appreciate all they do for us, UNTIL it's to late.

Love your Parents ...
Source: Muslim Converts/Facebook group