Homemade applesauce

'Tis the season for apples.

One reason I am particularly fond of the fall is the idea of spending a sunny, crisp Saturday afternoon at the apple orchard.  The irony, though, is that I haven't actually been to an apple orchard to pick apples since I was a wee young lass.

Toward the end of the summer I though to myself, This is the year I will finally make it to the apple orchard.  And suddenly, in the blink of an eye, it's the middle of October.  Where is the time going?!

Instead, I decided that a bag of freshly picked apples from my mom would have to suffice for the time being so that I could make one of my favorite fall recipes - applesauce.

Nothing like a bowl of warm, homemade applesauce to accompany an autumnal meal by the fire on a crisp, blustery evening indoors.  Meatloaf?  Mashed potatoes?  Squash, anyone?

Homemade Applesauce

8 tart apples, Honeycrisp is always a good option
1 C water
1 C sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg


First, peel all of your apples, get rid of the cores, and cut them in to quarters.  Bring the water and apples to a boil, stirring the apples occasionally to ensure that all apples are softening.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, again stirring occasionally and breaking the apples when they become tender.  I prefer mine to be the consistency of chunky applesauce, but you can also continue stirring / breaking the apples until completely smooth.  

Stir in remaining ingredients, heat to boiling, boil and stir 1 minute.  Super easy, just a bit time consuming.

You'll never eat Mott's again.

KCK

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

I came across this recipe one day on Dara & Co.  I admit that I am guilty of sneaking a peak of our food editor's blog at work some days.

Marie Flanagan - more commonly known as Reetsyburger in the food blogging world - is the mastermind behind this post and recipe.  You can bet your bottom dollar that any recipe posted on Dara & Co., no less from Ms. Flanagan herself, is going to be lip-smackin' good.

And who doesn't love a good zucchini bread?  Especially with chocolate.

Do not be fooled, though.  This chocolate zucchini bundt is no bread.  It's a full-on rich and decadent chocolate cake.  I did still have it for breakfast, though, even with the chocolate icing.

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake, from Dara & Co., complements of Marie Flanagan


3 C shredded zucchini
2 C all-purpose flour
1 C unsweetened cocoa
2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
Dash of salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1 C Canola oil
1 C sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1 package dark chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350, grease your bundt pan, and grate 3 C zucchini.

Combine your sugars, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until fluffy.

Next beat in your eggs.

Fold in your grated zucchini with a spatula.

In a separate bowl mix your dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, dash of salt, and cinnamon.  Add your dry mixture to your wet mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.

Bake for 50-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Now that is one perfect bundt, but it's missing that special something...

FROSTING!!!

Supreme.

Marie didn't frost hers, but I say, What's chocolate cake without icing?!


Chocolate Supreme Icing

4 T cocoa
6 T milk
1 stick butter
3 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Bring cocoa, milk, and butter to a boil.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.  Drizzle over cake.

Yum, yum, yum.  Rich and chocolately goodness!



KCK

3 days and a whole lot of desserts

A few weeks ago I was hired as the official "caterer / baker" for a recruitment event that my sorority held.  What started as a highly organized and well-planned assignment soon turned to total chaos.  Maybe not total chaos - nothing earth-shattering happened - but I was definitely in for a long and labor-intensive few days in the kitchen.

I can't pretend I didn't love it, though.  As I was driving to deliver the final product, I thought to myself, If only this could be my full-time job.  Perhaps one day.

Three days and all the space my parents have in their kitchen and dining room finally resulted in a variety of three adorable desserts: 200 chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies, 100 mini red velvet cupcakes, and 100 fruit pizzas.

Ooh mama - now that's a lotta work!  But it was worth it; from what I hear the desserts were a success!


Keep in mind, if you ever need desserts for a special occasion I'll give you a great deal!


Cheers,






KCK


P.S. Stay tuned - I'll have recipes posted soon!

Strawberry scones with lemon glaze - The ultimate summer scone

I have been in a baking frenzy this past week.  I can't get enough of it.  I believe I have made two batches of my favorite chocolate/butterscotch chip cookies since last Monday.  Usually I have pretty good self-control when we have homemade cookies in the house.  Not the case lately.  Too many cookies on Sunday led to a highly unproductive day.

The cookies are now gone.  Thank God for that.  Tonight I decided to make strawberry scones with a lemon glaze.  What I love about scones is that there are so many creative combinations of flavors you can add.  I recently had an outstanding strawberry peach scone.  Another memorable scone is the blueberry scone with maple glaze at Bread & Chocolate.  It tastes like a blueberry pancake with maple syrup, but better!

I modified PW's maple pecan scone from her cookbook.  I am proud to say that I am promptly blogging about these.  I am waiting for the scones to cool as I type!  Which also means that I have yet to try them. Though I can say that they smell and look quite heavenly.  I will keep you posted on how they taste!


Before I begin, you'll have to forgive my less-than-quality photographs.  I am roughin' it with my iPhone cam - can't find my digital camera charger anywhere!

Strawberry Scones with Lemon Glaze, modified from PW's maple pecan scones


For the scones:

3 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C sugar
5 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 sticks cold butter
3/4 C strawberries, cut in to small pieces
Lemon zest from one lemon
1 large egg
3/4 C heavy whipping cream

For the glaze:


2 C powdered sugar
2 T whole milk
2 T melted butter
1 t lemon extract

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cut the cold butter in to small pieces, and add to the flour.  Cut the butter in to the flour mixture; meaning, sort of mash the butter cubes in to the flour mixture, for lack of a better explanation.  I usually have to get a little creative.  Last time I used a potato masher.  This time it was even less glamourous - I used beaters manually.  But it worked!  Cut the butter until the mixture resembles crumbs, like wet sand.

Next add your strawberries and lemon zest.  Mix throughout.

Whisk the egg and heavy whipping cream, and add to the dry mixture.  Fold the wet mixture in to the dry one until just combined.

Time to get your hands a little dirty.  Knead the dough slightly, but not too much!  Just to get the major clumps mixed in.

Place half of the dough on to a cutting board.  Form a disk about 8 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches thick.  Cut the disk in to six equal parts as if you are cutting a pizza.  Place each piece on to a greased baking sheet.  Repeat with the second half of the dough.

I would suggest baking in two batches.  I tried to put all twelve scones on to one baking sheet, and the baked in to each other, as you can see.

Bake for about 20 minutes until lightly golden.

Let cool completely.

For the glaze, mix all ingredients until smooth.  Add milk as needed so that the glaze will drizzle evenly on to the scones.  Once the scones are cool, drizzle on a dollop of glaze.  Let glaze harden.

Voila.  Your ultimate summer scone.


What a perfect treat for a warm summer morning!  Pair with a little iced coffee or iced tea and you're bound to have a spectacular day!

Cheers,



KCK

The very best Rhubarb Bread. Ever.

Last weekend I biked to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market and picked up some fresh, local rhubarb to bake with.  Well, the work week flew by, and when Friday rolled around I still hadn't made a delicious rhubarb treat.  I left for the cabin after work on Friday with my fresh rhubarb in tote.  There is nowhere better to bake than amidst the peace and quiet (well maybe not in my family - but at least I'm out of the hustle bustle of the city) up North.

Usually when I arrive at the cabin my first line of business is always to bake.  Perhaps it's just because there is so much more space to do so than in my teeny tiny kitchen at home, which, by the way, only seems to shrink in size by the day.  Only three more weeks in that tiny kitchen and I'll be moving on to a bigger and better space!

Anyway, I found a fantastic rhubarb bread recipe from Taste of Home.  Lately I've been having a hard time finding great bread recipes, but I have finally found a recipe that is most definitely "Bordertown-worthy," if I do say so myself.

Rhubarb Bread, modified from Taste of Home


1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C canola oil
1 egg
3/4 C skim milk
1/4 C half & half
1 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 1/2 C chopped, fresh rhubarb
1/2 C pecans

Topping:

1/2 C sugar
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 T cold butter


Preheat the oven to 350 and spray two loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.

First prepare your buttermilk.  In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine skim milk, half & half, and lemon juice.  Stir and let stand for at least five minutes.

In a large bowl combine brown sugar, oil, and egg.

Mix until well-combined and smooth.  Stir in your vanilla and buttermilk mixture.  Next, add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture - flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix until well-combined and smooth.

Fold your rhubarb pieces and pecans in to the batter.

Pour half of the batter in to one of the loaf pans and the rest in to the other loaf pan.

Don't forget to make to streusel (I almost forgot)!  Combine the three ingredients used for the topping in a medium bowl.

Using your hands, work the butter through the sugar and cinnamon until it resembles wet sand.

Side note:  Every time I have someone take an action shot, I cringe at the sight of my hands - they always look like my grandma's.  Ahhhhhhhhhh!  I'm too young for that!!! 

Back to the matter at hand, spread the streusel mixture so that it covers the surface of both loaves.

Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Voila.  Beautiful.

One whole loaf was gone by morning.

Cheers!

KCK

Chocolate bread

Last week I was catching up on my Twitter feed at work.  I caught a tweet from Two Peas and Their Pod that said something to the extent of, "Early morning baking before it gets too hot!"

What a lovely way to spend your morning!

I haven't baked in quite some time.  It has been hotter than a pistol lately, and our little kitchen and apartment gets far too hot with the oven running.  But Monday morning I woke up early before work to bake fresh chocolate bread.

My favorite coffee shop in college (as if it was years ago...try months ago) was Bordertown, a non-profit coffee shop nestled in the ever-so-scandalous "frat row."  B-town is adorable, brimming with character, and the best part?  They make the BEST fresh baked goods daily!  I have even been able to nab a few of their recipes myself!

Anyway, Bordertown has this incredibly moist and dense chocolate bread.  I'll have to work on getting the recipe, but the food network's recipe sufficed for my early morning baking session.  The bread was quite good, though not as delish as Bordertown's.  The recipe calls for chocolate chips and pecans; I skipped both and added cinnamon.  If you prefer a richer taste, be sure to go for the chocolate chips and pecans.  I actually think I will try that next time.

Chocolate Bread, modified from the Food Network


2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 C sugar
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 C milk
1 C vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 C semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
1 1/2 C chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 and grease two loaf pans.  In a large mixing bowl, beat all dry ingredients with electric mixer until well-combined.

Add milk, oil, eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed.

Pour batter in to two greased loaf pans, and bake for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Now that's a pretty darn easy recipe!  Enjoy!

Cheers,

KCK

Mark's 50th birthday extravaganza

My stepdad Mark recently turned 50.



Here's a pic of the b-day boy himself!  I photoshopped his face on to this macho motorcycle man (Mark owns a Harley) for his birthday card.

For his 50th birthday extravaganza we hosted a large group of family and friends at our cabin.  The weekend will go down as one of the best of the summer - no doubt about it.  Not only did my mom provide phenomenal food, particularly for Mark's birthday dinner, but the weather was absolutely pristine.  We spent tons of time on and in the lake (which, by the way, is the color of my hair because of the iron ore in it), and I successfully water-skiied for the first time since fourth grade!  Supa fun!






My hair is looking particularly smashing in this photo, wouldn't you say?  Yeah, right.  I wish.

I jumped at the chance to provide a "sweets display," as I like to call it, for the celebration.  It was hardly a grandiose display, but everyone definitely indulged, especially me!

Clockwise from top left:  Cake balls,  mini fruit pizzas (recipe soon to come - have to find it!), chocolate-dipped strawberries, and chocolate-marshmallow cookies (recipe also to follow soon).

Simply delightful!

KCK