Seasonal recipe: Apple cranberry cobbler

I think I will incorporate this into a sloww cooker recipe that I posted a couple of weeks back. I will let you know how it comes out!



Ingredients




For Fruit

•½ c sugar (raw cane or organic would be ideal)

•¾ c fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges, squeezed)

•¼ c water

•¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice

•12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries

•6 c cubed peeled baking apples (Rome, Granny Smith or other)

•¼ c dark rum

For Topping

•1 c flour

•¼ c sugar

•1 tsp baking powder

•¼ tsp baking soda

•¼ c chilled butter, cut in small pieces

•2/3 c buttermilk

•1 tsp grated orange rind

•2 tsp sugar

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.Grease or spray with non-stick spray a 3 quart oven proof casserole.

3.For fruit, combine the sugar, orange juice, pumpkin pie spice, water, and cranberries in a saucepan. Bring to boil and stir occasionally. Turn heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes until cranberries pop and mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat, cool slightly and stir in apple and rum. Put in prepared casserole.

4.For topping, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives. Combine buttermilk and orange rind, and add to flour mixture until just moist.

5.Spoon over top of fruit mixture in 8 equal portions. Sprinkle sugar on top.

6.Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and topping is browned.

My notes

•For those who don’t cook with alcohol for whatever reason, the rum can be omitted from this recipe.

•Several commenters on the recipe site said that they substituted half whole wheat flour for the white flour with success.

•Make sure you get a good baking apple. Don’t subsitute a sweeter apple or you will end up with a soupy cobbler.

Another Halloween Cake Picture

Mom’s Apple Squares

Traditional recipes for apple squares often use plenty of trans fat-laden shortening in the crust. We replaced it with a mixture of canola oil and butter and swapped out half the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat pastry flour for a little fiber. They are best enjoyed slightly warm. Gently reheat any leftovers in the oven or toaster oven to recrisp the crust.


12 servings

Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 3 1/2 hours (including cooling time)

 Ingredients


1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar, plus 3/4 cup, divided

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

5 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup ice water

1 large egg, separated

4 cups thinly sliced firm tart apples, such as Granny Smith, Empire or Cortland, peeled if desired

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation


1.Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and quickly rub them into the dry ingredients with your fingers until smaller but still visible. Add oil and toss with a fork to combine. Whisk water and egg yolk in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir until it begins to come together. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl a few times until it forms a ball. Divide the dough in half and shape into 5-inch disks. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2.Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

3.Combine apples, the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.

4.Roll one portion of dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 9-by-13-inch rectangle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into the prepared pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Trim the dough so it covers just the bottom of the pan. Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough. Using the parchment or wax paper, roll out the remaining dough, invert it over the filling and trim the edges so it just covers the filling. Whisk the egg white in a bowl until frothy and evenly brush over the top crust. Lightly sprinkle the crust with additional sugar, if desired.

5.Bake until golden brown and bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into 12 squares.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the crust (Step 1), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Equipment: Parchment paper

Nutrition

Per serving: 253 calories; 10 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 28 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 163 mg sodium; 49 mg potassium.



2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 other carbohydrate, 2 fat

Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Marshmallow Frosting

Shredded apple replaces some of the oil and keeps the cake moist in these cinnamon-spiked cupcakes. There is a generous amount of fluffy marshmallow frosting to mound or pipe on top for a festive look. Be sure to frost them right after you make the frosting—it stiffens as it stands and becomes more difficult to spread.


12 cupcakes

Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours (including cooling time)


Ingredients


Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups shredded peeled apples

1/2 cup diced dried apples

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, plus 3/4 cup, divided

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

1/3 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk

Frosting

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup water

4 teaspoons dried egg whites (see Note), reconstituted according to package directions (equivalent to 2 egg whites)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish

Preparation


1.To prepare cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cupcake liners or coat with cooking spray.

2.Combine shredded and dried apples in a bowl with 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside. Beat oil and the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Add vanilla, increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute.

3.Whisk whole-wheat flour, cake flour, baking soda, salt and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl.

4.With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the batter, starting and ending with dry ingredients and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until just combined. Stir in the reserved apple mixture until just combined. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. (The cups will be full.)

5.Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before frosting.

6.To prepare frosting: Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler (see Tip). Combine 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup water in the top of the double boiler. Heat over the simmering water, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Add reconstituted egg whites, cream of tartar and pinch of salt. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is glossy and thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the top pan from the heat and continue beating for 1 minute more to cool. Add vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and beat on low just to combine. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle cinnamon on top, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store unfrosted cupcakes airtight at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Equipment: 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups

Ingredient Note: Dried egg whites are pasteurized so this product is a wise choice in dishes that call for an uncooked meringue. Look for brands like Just Whites in the baking or natural-foods section of most supermarkets or online at bakerscatalogue.com.

Nutrition

Per cupcake: 267 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 35 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 188 mg sodium; 73 mg potassium.



3 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 other carbohydrates, 1 fat