Apple Walnut Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When the rains here start and the leaves begin to fall, I love to make these pancakes. There is something about them that speaks to fall. I'm not particular about when I serve them and they have performed breakfast, lunch and dinner duty in my kitchen. They are easy to prepare and I always have to make a double batch to please the folks at my table. The Silver Fox loves these served with smoked or homemade sage sausage. Smoked sausage is always available in supermarkets, and truth be told, my sage sausage is awfully easy to make, so he gets one or the other every time I serve apple pancakes. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the pancakes are made.

Apple Walnut Pancakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 medium apple, peeled and grated
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:
1) Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
2) Whisk together buttermilk, egg and butter in a small bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture stirring just until flour mixture is moistened. Gently fold in apple and walnuts.
3) Brush a nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet with oil or spray with nonstick spray and set over medium-low heat. Using a scant 1/4 cup for each pancake, pour batter onto the griddle. Cook until bubbles begin to appear and the edges of pancakes are dry, about 2 minutes. Turn pancakes over and cook until lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer pancakes to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, making a total of 12 pancakes.

                    

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                        Mulligatawny                                                             Potato and Cheese Soup

              Three Years Ago Today:                                                    Four Years Ago Today: 

                     Peach Chutney                                                                 Winter Tomato Soup

New England Pumpkin Walnut Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I just can't seem to help myself. I need another recipe for pumpkin bread like I need a hole in the head, but, as you can see, that hasn't stopped me from looking. The oatmeal topping on top of this bread caught my eye and I simply had to give the recipe a try. Strangely enough it doesn't add much flavor to the finished loaf and it seems to be used more for the sake of appearance than flavor. This is a very sweet cake, similar in flavor to a Passover honey cake, and if you like honey cake you'll love this sweet quick bread. The pumpkin puree keeps the loaf moist and its flavor improves as the loaf ages. This is a very simple bread to make and if you have a strong arm it can be prepared with a couple of bowls and a wooden spoon. The recipe comes Taste of Home magazine and while I increased the amount of cinnamon, cut back a smidge on the cloves, this is their recipe. If you are looking for a new pumpkin bread, you might want to give this one a try. Here is how the bread is made.

Apple, Cranberry and Walnut Bread + Mimolette (Cantalope Cheese)

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a wonderful bread, but it may not be to everyone's liking. I make and serve it with fruit and cheese, but only to close friends and family whose tastes I know. Despite the apples, this is not a sweet bread and I use it in place of crackers to serve with sharp Cheddar or the Edam-like, Mimolette, which, because of its shape and color, is also known as cantalope cheese. There is more about Minolette following the recipe below. The bread is simple to make, and, if you have a stand mixer, it will do most of the work for you. The loaves are well-flavored and have a crust that offers only slight resistance to the tooth. The bread is a moderately good keeper, and while it makes excellent toast, I do have a caution to share with you. Use your broiler or a toaster oven if you decide to use the bread for toast. Pieces of fruit tend to slough off the bread slices and they will burn in a standard toaster. The aroma of your morning coffee can't fight with that of burnt fruit.The bread is also wonderful with goat or cream cheese. I do hope the adventurers among you will try this bread. I think you'll really enjoy it. Here is how it's made.

Arugula and Carrot Salad with Walnuts and Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'll wager you can guess what my resolution for the New Year is. Yup! I'm joining the ranks of the rabbit people until I've atoned for the dietary excesses of the holiday. It, unfortunately, is going to take a while, so portion and carb control are going to be my mantra for the next couple of months. I promise not to bore you with my progress, or lack thereof, and I won't make the assumption that you, too are watching your weight. Mums the word! My plan is not to mention this again until I get were I want to go and that's a lot of pounds away. There will be before and after pictures when I hit the finish line. Salads like this one will make the journey a bit easier. I love the play of peppery arugula with the sweet carrots in this salad and the walnut vinaigrette used to coat the greens walnut is inspired. The recipe was develop by Martha Rose Shulman for The New York Times and I think you will love it as much as I do. Here is how the salad and its dressing are made. 

Dutch Apple Loaf

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The coronation of Willem-Alexander, started me thinking about Dutch food. Save for cheese, not much of it has made its way across the ocean, and many of the dishes that we attribute to the Dutch, are actually German and come from Pennsylvania Dutch country. I suspect its crackly sugar topping is what gave this delicious loaf its Dutch descriptor. It's jam packed with apples and walnuts, and that remarkable crackly topping gives it flavor that more than makes up for its plain appearance. This  cake is fit to set before the king. Just ask the Silver Fox, who counts this simple peasant loaf among his favorite desserts. The recipe is straightforward and the cake is easy to make. Do, however, line the pan and grease it well, because this cake wants to stick. It keeps well should you have leftovers. I hope you'll give this cake a try. It is delicious and one bite set my sox in motion. It's been a while since that happened. Here's how the cake is made. 

Dutch Apple Loaf...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups diced peeled tart apples
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Topping
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, then grease paper.
2) Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla.
3) Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in apples and walnuts. Scrape into prepared pan.
4) To make topping: Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter.
5) Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center of loaf comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).







One Year Ago Today: Chocolate and Banana Small Cakes














Two Years Ago Today: Strawberry Shortcake














Three Years Ago Today: Margarita Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip and Walnut Mandelbrot for Hanukkah

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've finally found the perfect "dunker" for the holiday baskets I'm constructing. It is an Eastern European biscuit that some folks call a Jewish biscotti. Of course, if you your background is Eastern European, you probably prefer to call it mandelbrot, or almond bread. While no one can pinpoint its origins with certainty,  it's thought that itinerant Jews carried biscotti with them on journeys from the Piedmont in Italy into Eastern Europe, where the cookie was assimilated because its ingredients adhered to Kosher dietary law. I love biscotti, but I've found it hard to find really good recipes for this twice baked treat. I was delighted to find this version on the King Arthur Flour site. The step-by-step instructions that accompany this recipe are outstanding and can be found here. I'm planning to adapt their baking method to some of my other biscotti which occasionally get too hard. These are perfect. The add-ins to the basic recipe can be altered to reflect seasonal preferences and I'm willing to wager that dried cranberries and pistachios would be perfect changes for the Christmas cookie tray. I'll let you know. I hope you'll give this recipe a try. The mandelbrot are really easy to make and the results are outstanding. I'll be baking them often. Here's how they are made.

Chocolate Chip and Walnut Mandelbrot...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 cup (7 ounces) vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
3-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups walnut pieces
Optional: coarse white sparkling sugar

Directions:
1) Combine eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and salt and beat in bowl of a stand mixer and beat until thickened and light-colored, about5 minutes.
2) Beat in flour and baking powder.
3) Mix in chips and nuts. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours, or overnight.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
5) Divide dough into four even pieces, about 13 ounces each if you have a scale.
6) Working with one piece at a time, place dough on prepared baking sheet, shaping it into an 8 x 2-inch log. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Place 2 logs on each baking sheet. Sprinkle logs heavily with coarse white sugar, if desired.
7) Bake logs until they're set and beginning to brown on edges and sides, but not brown all over, about 28 to 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
8) Spritz logs lightly with water. Spritzing logs will make them easier to cut. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
9) Cut each log into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices. Cutting them on the diagonal will make the mandelbrot longer; cutting them crosswise will yield shorter cookies.
10) Place pieces on edge, quite close together, on the baking sheets, and return them to the oven. Bake for an additional 35 to 45 minutes, or until a cookie feels baked through when you pinch it between your fingers. You'll also notice some browning around the edges, though cookies shouldn't be browning all over.
11) Remove from oven, and cool mandelbrot right on the baking sheets. Yield: about 58 cookies.

One Year Ago Today: Greek Lemon Yogurt Mousse

Two Years Ago Today: Quick and Crusty Hard Rolls

Three Years Ago Today: Sauteed Christmas Peppers

Cat-Skinner's Carrot Cake

L'shanah tovah - Happy New Year to all who are celebrating.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There is no need to call the ASPCA. In logger jargon, a cat-skinner is the operator of a bulldozer that is used to move felled trees from the forest floor to trucks where they are loaded and taken to a mill. It is hard, hot and dangerous work, the kind that builds an appetite and assures there will be takers for delightfully dense and pudding-like cakes such as this. In 2010, the organizers of the first-ever Great Oregon Coast Potluck-Off, challenged the community to come up with dishes that would redefine what a pot-luck dinner could be. This unique carrot cake was the winner. It was made by a team from the First Christian Church of Newport and judges were impressed by its slightly tropical flavor and the liquid frosting that formed a glaze as it was absorbed into the still warm cake. The cake is delicious and quite easy to make. While it is sweet, it is not cloying and when served warm with a dollop of cream, it really is delightful. What the cake lacks in refinement, it makes up for in flavor, and if you enjoy a good bread pudding, I think you'll like this cake. Here's how it is made.

Cat-Skinner's Carrot Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the First Christian Church of Newport and Grant Butler of The Oregonian

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups shredded or finely chopped carrots
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
2) To make cake: Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with a hand mixer or whisk until they are smooth. Add buttermilk, oil, vanilla and sugar and mix until sugar has dissolved and ingredients are fully incorporated. Add dry ingredients and continue beating until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in carrots, pineapple, coconut and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
3) To make frosting: Combine sugar, buttermilk, baking soda, corn syrup and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour hot frosting evenly over warm cake, allowing frosting to soak in. Yield: 16 servings.

One Year Ago Today:  Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukin's Carrot Cake

Two Years Ago Today: Sizzling Southwestern Flank Steak with Creamy Salsa Verde

Three Years Ago Today: Kartoffel Suppe - Bavarian Potato Soup

Zucchini Bread with Pineapple and Walnuts

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Every year I engage in some insanity with friends who were in my Master Gardener's class. It actually is a challenge. At this time of year, our local farm stands sell huge zucchini for a dollar. These monsters are 18 to 24 inches long and if you dropped on your foot, serious damage could be done to your toes. At any rate, the challenge is to see who can make the best use of the dollar zucchini. The first year we did this was easy. We all had clean slates and didn't have to concern ourselves with repetitions or copy cat entries. However, we've done this for five years now and it is getting harder and harder to come up with new things to make. In past years I've worked on savory entries that could be served as meals. This year I want to confuse everyone and work my way through the sweet end of the spectrum. I made this bread just before we left for New Hampshire and it is one of the loaves that traveled with me from one coast to the other. It was given luggage space because the combination of zucchini and pineapple was a delightful surprise and I wanted to share it with my daughters. If you have not yet tried the combination, I hope you will give this moist and flavorful bread a try. I promise you won't regret it. Here's the recipe I used.

Zucchini Bread with Pineapple and Walnuts...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Lane County Extension Service

Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup grated zucchini
1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple (with juice)
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour bottom only of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
2) Cream brown sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Reserve 1 tablespoon pineapple juice. Stir in pineapple, zucchini, and eggs. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Blend well. Fold in nuts. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
3) Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, and then remove from pan and finish cooling on a wire rack.
4) To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, reserved 1 tablespoon pineapple juice, corn syrup and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix until smooth, and spoon over warm loaf. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store in refrigerator. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Savory Spinach and Rice Cakes

Two Years Ago Today: Raspberry Kuchen

Three Years Ago Today: Lemon-Herb Slow Cooker Chicken

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These cookies have much to recommend them.  The recipe for them was developed by Giada DeLaurentis and it has received rave reviews on the Food Network Site. I especially like these fruit bars because they transport well, and while I think they're  delicious, I take certain precautions to assure great results that everyone will enjoy. I only make these cookies when I have really good apricot jam or preserves in my pantry.  Fortunately, I have a friend who sends me several jars of my favorite preserves at Christmas time. They are made by Harvest Song and they have the ability to make an ordinary fruit bar truly outstanding. This  recipe also works well with dried cherries and cherry preserves. These bars are completely dependent on the quality of the ingredients  used to make them and I urge you to not to stint if you decide to give them a try. Make sure your jam tastes more of fruit than sugar and that you use a good butter with a low moisture content. The cookies come together quickly and they will keep for several days if they are properly stored. I think you will like these and I hope you will give them a try. Here's the recipe.

Apricot Oatmeal Bars...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Giada DeLaurentis

Ingredients:

Filling

1 (13-ounce) jar apricot jam or preserves (about 1-1/4 cups)
8 dried apricots, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1/3 cup)

Crust

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 packed cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup (4 ounces) coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, at room temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Move an oven rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 x 2-inch metal baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray and set aside.
2) To make filling: Mix jam and snipped apricots together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3) To make crust: Whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Stir in oats and walnuts. Add butter, egg and vanilla and stir until incorporated.
4) Using a fork or clean damp fingers, lightly press half of crust mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Using a spatula, spread filling over crust leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge of pan. Cover filling with remaining crust mixture and gently press to flatten. Bake until light golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

One Year Ago Today: The Good Woman's Cod Fish Casserole

Two Years Ago Today: Greek-Style Flatbread Pizza

Three Years Ago Today: Fresh Mango Chutney

Apple Walnut Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The theme of the gift baskets I made for the neighbors this Christmas is apples. While I had filled them with chutney, two kinds of jelly and apple butter, I thought they still looked too skimpy for gifting . So, at the last minute I decided to add a cake-like apple bread to bulk them up a bit. The bread I selected is very easy to make and requires no special equipment, save for a wooden spoon, to assemble. It is very similar in taste to a Jewish apple cake. Now, I've always questioned that designation because both the Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch have a cake with nearly identical ingredients and taste. Turns out it's called "Jewish" because the cake is completely dairy free, and that makes it especially appropriate to serve for the holiday of Rosh Hashanah when sweet foods are eaten because they represent the wish for a happy, sweet year ahead. I wish my neighbors nothing less. Whatever their origins, all these cakes are delicious and take minutes to assemble once the apples are are sliced or diced. They age extremely well and actually taste better the day after they are made. Those of you who like sweet desserts will really enjoy this dense apple bread. Here's the recipe.

Apple Walnut Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Leah Koenig

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3 cups Red Delicious, Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8 x 4 x 2-1/2-inch loaf pans. Set aside.
2) In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Set aside.
3) In a small bowl, combine granulated and brown sugar, oil and vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time, stirring to combine after each addition. Pour sugar mixture into dry ingredients and mix to combine. Fold apples and walnuts into batter, which will be very thick.
4) Scrape batter into prepared pans. Bake loaves for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into middle of loaf comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack. Let sit for 10 minutes and then remove from pans. Yield: 2 loaves.








One Year Ago Today: Assorted Christmas Confections















Two Years Ago Today: Florentine Lace Cookies

Walnut Cheesecake Squares

From the kitchen of One Bite...I have a weakness for cheesecakes. I love to eat them and I love to bake them. I find their tangy creaminess irresistible, and, save for brownies, I don't know a dessert that's easier to make. On the downside, they are calorie laden and commonsense dictates they not be eaten often. I've found it's possible to enjoy them a bit more frequently by exercising a simple form of portion control. Rather than make a cake, I make cheesecake bars or squares which, of course, contain fewer calories than a slice of the same cake would have. It works for me, though it took years to learn to stop eating with one piece. The cake I'm featuring today is a basic cheesecake flavored with vanilla and enhanced with a nut topping. These squares are very, very good. I know you'll like the ease with which they can be made and I suspect you'll find their taste most appealing. Here's the recipe.

Walnut Cheesecake Squares...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter
Filling
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
2) To make cheesecake base: Combine flour, walnuts, brown sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set half aside; press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
3) To make filling: Combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until smooth. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
4) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 16-20 servings.









One Year Ago Today: Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder















Two Years Ago Today: Cran-Apple Crisp







You might also enjoy these recipes:
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars - Good Thymes and Good Food
Smores Cheesecake Bars - The Sweet's Life
Cherry Cheesecake Bars - Baking and Boys
SopapillaCheesecake Bars- My Baking Heart
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars - Life's Ambrosia

Apple and Walnut Bundt Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love fall and the aromas of the fall kitchen. The scents of cinnamon and cloves permeate the house and ready the senses for the sprees of holiday cooking that lie ahead. The cooler weather is invigorating and surging energy forcibly retires the slow and measured pace of summer. One item on the list of things that must be done is our yearly hunt for apples. Actually, it's more like a forray than a hunt, but it demands at least one day be spent in an orchard picking apples. Lots of apples. I'm convinced that this sweat equity sets my cooking efforts apart from those who let others do the picking for them. Fortunately, my family loves apples and, I know that our harvest, however large, won't last long enough to spoil. I make this bundt cake every fall. It's not my favorite apple dessert, but it's really delicious, and because it's not frosted, it's wonderful to tote from one place to another. It's really easy to make and is always well received. I thought you might enjoy it. Here's the recipe.

Apple and Walnut Bundt Cake ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded peeled tart apples
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
2) Combine eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat to combine. Add apples and sugar and beat for 1 minute longer.
3) Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and baking powder in another bowl. Add to apple mixture, beating until blended. Stir in walnuts.
4) Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minute, or until a toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan andcool right side up on awire rack Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack with right-side of cake facing up. 5) When cool, combine confectioners' sugar and brown sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle over top of cake. Yield: 15 servings.









One Year Ago Today: Assorted Creams and Ices














Two Years Ago Today: Apfel Sahne Torte - Apple Cream Cake








Your might also enjoy these recipes:
French Apple Cake - Babe in the City KL
Sticky Toffee Apple Cake - What's for Dinner Hon?
Scandinavian Apple Cake - Cook Almost Anything
Caramel Apple Cake Pops (Gluten Free) - The Dusty Baker
Whole Wheat Apple Cake - Dinners and Dreams

Lemon Glazed Walnut Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I live in an area where walnuts and hazelnuts grow in abundance and they are always available in local markets at a fair price. Ergo, I use them often in my cooking, especially in desserts and pastries. Bob really likes these lemon glazed walnut bars, and at his suggestion, I'm including them in this week's collection of adult cookie recipes. The cookies are made from a prize winning recipe that was developed by Chante Jones for a Taste of Home contest. Her recipe is straight forward and easy to follow, but I have a few cautions to share with you. I've found that the cookies have more flavor if they are allowed to age a day before serving. The wait time gives the ingredients a chance to marry and guarantees you won't be overwhelmed by the lemon flavor of the glaze. Fresh lemon juice should be the order of the day. I've found that commercial products have a lingering tinny taste that I find unpleasant. That could be my "princess and the pea" palate working overtime, but I think most of you would agree that fresh is best, and, hopefully, will use it when you make these cookies. These are not as sweet as most bar cookies and I love to make theme for friends who enjoy tea. I hope you will give them a try. I suspect you'll like them a lot. Here's the recipe.

Lemon Glazed Walnut Bars...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Chante Jones and Taste of Home

Ingredients:
Crust
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Lemon Glaze
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I keep this to 2 tablespoons)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Set aside.
2) To make cookie crust: Combine butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and cream until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and salt and gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
3) To make filling: Combine eggs, brown sugar, flour, vanilla, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Stir in walnuts. Spread over crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until filling is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
4) To make glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar and enough lemon juice to achieve desired consistency; spread over filling. Let stand until set before cutting. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.







One Year Ago Today: Corn Soup a la Patricia Wells














Two Years Ago Today: Cougnou - Belgian Bread of Jesus






You might also enjoy these recipes:
Fig Crumble Bars - Baking Bites
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars - Mom's Cooking Club
Salted Nut Bars - Heidi Bakes
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars - Amanda's Cookin'
Snickers Bar Cookies - The Recipe Girl

Orange Rhubarb Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While it's getting scraggly, rhubarb is still available at local farm stands and green markets. I really am delighted. I still have untested recipes I wanted to try and this extended growing season makes that possible. This lovely quick bread was developed by Sonya Goergen and it is quite simply delicious. It is moist and packed with a bright, tangy orange flavor that I find especially appealing. A slice of this sweet bread and a steamy cup of French press makes for a great breakfast that will kick start the gloomiest of days. The bread can be made with frozen rhubarb if a little care is exercised. The rhubarb should be measured while it is frozen, but it should be allowed to thaw and drain before it is used in the bread. Do not squeeze or press it dry. You want it to retain some moisture. This is really easy to make, and, while it stales quickly, it can be frozen. If you enjoy cranberry orange bread, I think you'll enjoy this theme and variation. Here's the recipe.

Orange Rhubarb Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Sonya Gorgen

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup orange juice
1-1/2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
2) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange peel and vanilla.
3) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture alternately with orange juice. Fold in rhubarb and almonds.
4) Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).






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Rhubarb Cake with Custard Filling - The Dutch Baker's Daughter
The Lighthouse Keeper's Rhubarb Bread - One Perfect Bite
Buttermilk Rhubarb Bread - Eating Out Loud
Strawberry Rhubarb Bread - Fake Food Free
Orange Rhubarb Bread - The 2 Foodies
Rhubarb Bread - Confessions of a Cardamom Addict
Walnut Rhubarb Bread - La Casa de Sweets
Rhubarb Scones + Rhubarb Bread - Betsy's Bites

Spaghetti with Shaved Asparagus, Brown Butter and Toasted Walnuts

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Within the confines of my home this is still called ABC pasta. The first time I made the dish, I used asparagus, brown butter and capellini, and, while the ingredients have changed a bit, the name stuck. This is a fast and easy dish to execute. It has a spare elegance and makes a lovely, light meal that is worthy of family and friends. It's also a great way to use some of the asparagus that floods markets at this time of year. While you'll want to use thick spears to make this, it will be necessary to sacrifice the first strip you shave from the top and each side of the asparagus spears. The asparagus is "cooked" only by the heat of the pasta, so you want to make sure it is crisp tender, not tough, when it is tossed with the macaroni. The brown butter sauce is simple to put together and once the asparagus has been shaved you are ten minutes away from dinner. There is a nutty richness to the butter sauce that I think you will enjoy. The recipe appears below.

Now, I have a special request to make of you. I'm looking for a food joke. The kind that will make folks groan when they hear it. It's time for retaliation. I have for most of my adult life been surrounded by pragmatic people who love the order of numbers and the power of logic. They are wonderful folks, one and all. Let's just say that their humor is sometimes beyond the pale. I was working in the kitchen when the Silver Fox, normally quite circumspect, let loose a belly laugh. He was paging through a book on relativity. "You have to hear this, Mary." Are your ready? Here's the gist of his metaphysical gut buster. A battered turtle crawled in a police station to report he had been mugged by three snails. When ask to be more specific, the turtle said, "It happened so fast, I can't remember." Help! Poor Albert Einstein is rolling in his grave. It may be time for separate vacations.

Spaghetti with Shaved Asparagus, Brown Butter and Toasted Walnuts...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Brown Butter Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Spaghetti
12 ounces spaghetti
1 bunch (1 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed, shaved with a vegetable peeler
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions:
1) To make brown butter sauce: Melt butter and salt in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add chopped fresh sage and cook, stirring often, until butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream and remove from the heat.
2) To make pasta: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot. Gently fold in shaved asparagus.
3) To serve: Add brown butter to pasta and asparagus and toss to coat. Fold in cheese and walnuts. Adjust salt if necessary. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.






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Classic Spaghetti Carbonara - Dinner du Jour
Spaghetti Bologonese - Savoring Today
Slavic Spaghetti - Simply Daily Recipes
Baked Lemon Spaghetti - The Recipe Girl
Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce - The Constant Hunger
Capellini with Cheese and Black Pepper - The Red Spoon
Lemon Spaghetti - Sunshine and Smile
Spaghetti with Bacon - In Flora's Kitchen
Shrimp and Mushroom Spaghetti - What's Cookin' Chicago?
Spaghetti with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Tomatoes - A Toast to Taste

Maple Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Walnut Streusel and Maple Glaze

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I spent some time last evening baking for friends we were going to visit today. I made three coffee cakes, all of which will be featured here over the course of the next few days. All the cakes are delicious, but the one I'm focusing on tonight is a bit different than most you've encountered. It is a sour cream cake and, as such, is wonderfully moist, but what makes it unusual is its lovely maple flavor. That flavor is neither easy nor cheap to come by. Under no circumstances can maple-flavored or pancake syrup be used to make this cake. You need the genuine article and to extract the best flavor you are going to want to use Grade B syrup. In the United States maple syrup is divided into two major grades: Grade A and Grade B. Detailed information about the various grades of syrup, here and in other countries, can be found on Wikipedia. For our purposes, all you need to know that Grade B syrup is darker and more flavorful than Grade A. Not surprisingly, it is more expensive. I first saw this cake on the blog the Bookcooker. The recipe for this cake originally appeared in Gourmet magazine and can be found on the Epicurious website. The recipe for the maple glaze is from a recipe developed by Martha Stewart and it can be found on her site. I used my infamous cut and paste technique to make the cake you see above. I do have a few tips to share with you. Be sure to use a paper lined spring form pan and follow directions for releasing and cooling the cake. If you plan to glaze the cake, drizzle the glaze over the cake before it has a chance to cool and set up. You may have to play with the timing as well. My cake took 70 minutes to bake. If you enjoy maple flavor I suspect you'll like this coffee cake. If not, stay tuned , I have others coming. Here's the recipe for today's cake.

Maple Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Walnut Streusel and Maple Glaze...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Gourmet Magazine and Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
Streusel
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup toasted walnuts
2 /3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 /4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1-1/2 teaspoons maple extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
Glaze
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1) To make the streusel: In a food processor blend flour, walnuts, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt until nuts are ground and mixture is crumbly. Stir maple extract into syrup, then add syrup to mixture in processor bowl and pulse until combined. Set aside.
2) To make cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter paper. Dust pan with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Place butter and brown sugar in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Cream until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in maple syrup, maple extract and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with sour cream. Beat batter after each addition just until combined. Spoon 1/2 of batter into prepared pan. Top with half of streusel mixture. Cover with remaining batter and spread with reserved streusel. Bake in middle of oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove sides of spring form. Carefully invert cake on a cooling rack and remove bottom of pan and parchment paper. Turn cake right-side up onto another rack and cool completely.
3) To prepare glaze: In a small saucepan, melt butter and syrup together over medium heat. Whisk confectioners' sugar into hot mixture until smooth, and immediately drizzle over cooled cake. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.








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Two Years Ago Today: Swiss Onion Tart








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Strawberry Coffee Cake - Shih's Cooking
Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake -Real Mom Kitchen
Raspberry Coffee Nib Coffee Cake - Dessert First
Wishes and Yogurt Coffee Cake - Whisk
Cherry Crunch Coffee Cake - Sprinkled with Flour
Orange Raisin Coffee Cake - Diethood
Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake - Kitchen Runway
Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake - Sugar N' Flour
Sour Cream and Cherry Coffee Cake - Mommy's Kitchen
Starbuck's Classic Coffee Cake - Buttercream Barbie
Cranberry Kuchen - Amanda's Cookin'

This post is being linked to Sunday Spotlight at You Made That?