Apple Cake
1½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup shortening
2 eggs
2½ cups flour
3 cups peeled & thinly sliced apples (usually 3 or 4 apples)
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup warm coffee
½ cup chopped walnuts (opt)
Cream sugar & shortening, add eggs & beat mixture well. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon & salt. Sift gradually into the sugar/shortening/egg mixture adding alternately with warm coffee. Fold in apple pieces and chopped walnuts.
Place mixture in greased/floured 9" x 12" pan. Sprinkle topping of ½
teaspoon cinnamon & ½ cup brown sugar over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 mins.
This recipe was given to me many years ago by a dear friend. The coffee makes it so good and is easy to throw together when there's still breakfast coffee left in the pot. Perfect for a wintery Saturday or Sunday afternoon treat.
CROCK POT APPLE BUTTER
Crock-pot full of apples, peeled, cored & quartered
2 cups apple cider or apple juice
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2-teaspoons ground cinnamon (you can use less)
¾ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1. Fill your crock-pot (5 or 4 quart) to 1 inch over the rim with prepared apples. I suggest using several different varieties for a good flavor. They will cook down considerably.
2. Add cider or apple juice and place lid on top of apples. If you have a vent window in your crock-pot lid, keep it closed for this step. Put on low and cook for 12 hours (I do this over night.)
3. In the morning, stir well; add the rest of the ingredients, stirring well again. Put the lid back on the crock-pot with the vent open or the lid tilted to the side to allow moisture out. Cook for 12 to 24 hours on low, stirring occasionally until mixture reaches the proper consistency. (To test put a small spoon full on a plate~liquid will not accumulate more than ¼ inch around edge of what you’ve placed on the plate when it’s completely done.)
4. Your apple butter should be a rich, dark brown when it’s done. Pour into clean, hot pint or half pint jars, place clean lids & rings on the jars and water bath for about 20 mins. Remove from water bath, place on towel and let the jars cool. The lids will seal as they cool.
5. For giving as tuck-in holiday gifts, unscrew the outer ring and place a piece of round holiday fabric on the jar top and replace the ring. Some ribbon or raffia sets it off nicely.
As fall comes and goes and winter sets in, we'll be serving more soups including chili. Here's a quick and easy recipe for the perfect side dish for chili~corn bread.
CORN BREAD
2 eggs
1cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil
1 14.75oz can of cream style corn
2 boxes Jiffy corn bread mix 8.5oz.
Butter a 9x13 pan. Set a side. In med. large bowl beat the eggs. Add the sour cream,oil and creamed corn. Mix well. Add 2 pkgs of the corn bread mix and mix well. Pour the batter into the 9x13 buttered pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. ... Test with toothpick in center of cornbread to see if it is done. Good served with chicken chili, regular chili or Taco soup. Enjoy!
It's that time of the year when fresh garden produce is plentiful. And in certain areas one thing that grows like weeds is zucchini. Here's my favorite recipe for zucchini bread.
Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 cup oil (vegetable, canola but not olive oil)
2 cups peeled & grated zucchini
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Beat eggs until foamy. Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Mix lightly. Add sifted dry ingredients. Mix together and pour into greased loaf pans. (This recipe should make two full size loaf pans or three smaller size loaf pans). Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 mins. The smaller pans will take about 50 mins.
