Steve and Jeff's favourite apple cake

After many an apple crisp, crumble and pie have been baked for sake of using up the apples in my crisper, I decided to search my recipe books for something new to create with these tasty pieces of fruit.
Behold...the APPLE CAKE!
I think this is probably the 5th or 6th time that I've made this cake since I was pregnant with my son, but they still ask for it!
*source Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook: Limited Edition*

2 beaten eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp lemon peel
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup cooking oil
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups, chopped, peeled apples (I used Red Prince this time)
1 cup toasted pecans (optional)

Allow eggs to come to room temp (about 30 mins). Grease and lightly flour a 10 inch tube pan; set aside. In a med. bowl, stir together flour, lemon peel, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl (I use Kitchy the KitchenAid mixer)combine sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 mins. Add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Fold in apples and pecans (if adding). Spoon batter into cake pan.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hr or until cake tester/knife/toothpick/icepick comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 mins, then remove from pan.

They recommend sprinkling the cooled cake with sifted icing sugar, but as my husband and brother-in-law both NEED to have icing on any and all cupcakes and cakes, I ice it with either a buttercream or simple white icing while still slightly warm.

Enjoy! *picture to come once its out of the oven

Oh yeah...I've been busy...

So, I haven't been too swift with these blog updates lately...but I swear, I've been cooking. Trust me, my husband and son have not been starved to death!

My latest culinary interest has been Southern cooking...every time we watch the Food Network and they flash images of BBQ sauce ladened chicken, dark green...um, well, greens and fluffy yellow cornbread, we start salivating like a couple of Pavlov's dogs.
I think I'm going to try my hand a several Southern, or at the very least, Southern inspired, dishes over the coming weeks and months. *much to my husband's delight*

I have already started my quest by making my first batch of skillet baked cornbread and it was gooooood! I didn't even think I would like corn bread. I mean, I like corn...like bread, sure! But the two together? Why would one do that? The answer: cuz she sho' tastes good, y'all!

Here's the recipe I borrowed with a few alterations from the original
(*source Allrecipes.com)

Amusement Park Cornbread

2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, softened (you can use shortening as well)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 inch skillet.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar, salt, butter and vanilla until creamy. Stir in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and cornmeal. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with the milk. Beat well until blended.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with your favourite BBQ or even as a dessert or breakfast.

Please note...I do not take great food photos...

A new (albeit expensive) addiction

While having a "family day" out with my husband and son yesterday, we stumbled upon a small grocery store in Waterloo called "David's Gourmet" :::super drool:::

It's a gourmet (well, that was obvious)grocery that carries all kinds of delish spices, breads, condiments and *yum* desserts! I don't think we've ever seen such an enormous slice of German Apple Strudel as I have from this place! It was about as big as my son's head!

Another great thing about this place is that they carry my favourite brand of chocolate, Dolfin...devine, give it a try sometime. Go ahead...treat yourself.
And they have free samples of their fresh dips and other treats to try.

Chocolate banana bread/loaf/cake

Okay..so the recipe said "loaf" and didn't call for chocolate of any kind actually...but damn it, I felt like being in a chocolately mood and wanted it to be a cake rather than a loaf. So sue me and my mixer! (I'll introduce you all later)

I actually really love making banana bread and often look for different variations in the dessert (wait...it is a *dessert*, right?), especially after trying this incredible version at a coffee shop in Toronto, on Roncesvalles, called "Cherry Bomb". YUM! I don't know exactly what they do with theirs that makes it so drool worthy, but everytime my sister manages to score me a piece, I dissect it trying to figure out their secret. Incidently, their bread also pairs extremely well with their Americano coffee!

Chocolate Banana bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 large ones)
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of cooking oil or melted butter (I prefer butter)
3 tbsp of good cocoa powder (I use Fry's)

Grease a 9x5 or two loaf pans and set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in centre of mixture and set aside.

In another bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar and butter. Add egg mixture all together to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened, your batter should be lumpy). Spoon into prepared pan(s).

Bake in 350 degree oven for 45-60 mins or until a toothpick inserted near centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins on wire rack. Remove from pan to completely cool.
Best if you wrap and store it overnight before slicing...if you can wait that long :)

And so another blog begins...

Being off on a 1 yr maternity leave with my beautiful baby boy, Liam, has *sometimes* provided me the opportunity to experiment a little more with recipes both cooking and baking. Something I really enjoy doing.

I decided to start documenting my hits and misses while cooking in a blog...you can read along and either make fun of my deflated souffles or congratulate me on a moist and delicious chocolate banana bread (without nuts for the hubby, of course)!

So, follow along, enjoy the blog and feel free to provide your comments and/or suggestions.

Happy Eating!

*Disclaimer* - I am not a professional baker or chef by any stretch of the imagination, just someone who really loves to be in the kitchen to experiment and use her family and friends as guinea pigs.
I do not have fancy pots and pans, I don't own all the necessary tools of the trade, but I do my best with what I have.