Baking Sunday

The complaint going around the office last week finally got me Friday, so I spent most of yesterday (after the grocery run) resting. 

This morning I felt better, though I have only been outside once, to check on the birds.  I have been watching Food Network and vegging with the pugs, while the big dogs snooze in the kitchen and the kittens in their warm places.  Keith has left for four days, for an emergency response excercise in another county, 3 hours from here. 

Right before he left, I decided to bake another apple dessert so he could take some with him.

In our family, we have a little joke about apple desserts.  You see, once we went to Ames to see the folks, and decided, since the whole family would be there, to stop at Lamoni at the Welcome Center for treats.  There was an Amish lady selling cinnamon rolls and pies on a long table in front of the Welcome Center, and her horse and buggy tied up under a roofed hitching post nearby.  As Keith's family was Amish two generations ago, we decided to get our treats from her.  We bought several trays of cinnamon rolls, and an apple pie.  When we got to Ames, the cinnamon rolls disappeared in short order as soon as the kids saw them.  (the whole family had gathered, which is rare).  The pie was set aside to enjoy at breakfast the next day. 

The next morning, Ralph, Keith's dad, sat down at the table, and asked for a piece of the pie.  He bit into his piece, and didn't say anything, so Keith asked how he liked it. "It would be great," he said... "If there were some apples in it!"  It turned out that the pie was simply apple pie filling from a can, with no solid apples!  We have always joked about it since.

So, we make apple desserts frequently, and always make sure there are real apples in them.

I found this dessert on a blog, and if you are reading this, and see it.... please identify if for me!  I forgot to write it down the night I printed it six weeks ago.  I do not think I found it on Farm Bell, as it would have printed out below, but it could have been.  It is called "Mom's Raw Apple Cake", and it is wonderful.  Keith does not really like iced cakes, so this kind suits him fine.

Here are the first ingredients, mixed in a bowl by hand:

3 cups chopped baking apples (I used 3 Granny Smiths)

Add 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups oil, 2 eggs, well-beaten, and 1 teaspoon vanilla

And get this:

Looks yummy already!

Next, sift together

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

And then mix together with the wet ingredients, getting this:

The batter will be VERY thick.

Spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan, and bake at 350 degrees for an hour OR until a toothpick comes out clean.  (It may take longer than an hour, depending on your oven). 

I only baked mine about 35 minutes, and it was done. 

Here is what you will get:

There is a note on the original that this is a cross between a coffee cake and a cake, that is perfect for dessert or with coffee in the morning.  The cake will keep up to three days, covered.  After that, it will get too moist.

Here is a bit out of  piece:

This was, hands down, the best coffee type cake I've made in years.  Keith did not get to taste it, as he had to get down the road before it was ready to be cut, but let me tell you, it is moist and good, and I'll make it again next weekend so he can have some.  The cake is going to work with me tomorrow so that my co-workers can have a treat in the morning.

As I sit here typing this, the fog is so thick that I can't see past the llama shed.  I am going to pull my boots on and go slosh in the mud and melting snow, putting more feed out for the wildings, and checking on the henhouses.  The starlings have been invading the big henhouse daily, eating and drinking everything.  At least warmer weather is coming, which will stop that.  I'm going to load the llama's hay buffet up, too, as we expect storms tonight. The weather around here is on a wild ride!

Have a peaceful Sunday evening at the Oscars, everyone!