I had a vegetable drawer filled with fuji apples that had seen better days. They were not fit to eat for my mid morning snack. It’s rare that I clean out my vegetable bin and throw things away. I always try and “re purpose” neglected veggies and fruit and turn them into something delicious.
These apples were no different. I need to turn them into something yummy and a crostata wasn’t going to cut it (my usual go to dessert when I have too much of one thing on hand). A few weeks back I had given away a copy of The Fearless Baker on this blog post and I really wanted to bake a few more things from the book. I remembered reading about her Apple Crisp Bars and earmarked the page. I grabbed the book and started collecting ingredients. I already have a favorite crust for fruit type bars as well as a streusel topping. I did, however, make her apple filling and it was good enough to eat with a spoon, all on it’s own.
I brought these to a casual lunch and both men and women devoured them. The kids topped the ends and the leftovers with vanilla bean ice cream and said it was hands down better than any apple dessert they had ever tasted. This gets my vote as well!
Apple-Lime-Mint Spritzer
Pumpkin is still going to be with us for the next month and I want to capitalize on all that it has to offer. As I start to plan my Thanksgiving feast, in my head, I take into consideration all the wonderful flavors of the season; pumpkin, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, corn, cranberries, brussel sprouts, citrus, apples, pears, pecans, baby squash, beets, and so much more.
As apple picking season approaches, I’m reminded of this all time family favorite cake. My sister has been making a version of this cake for as long as I can remember. It’s often referred to as “Jewish Apple Cake” (probably due to the fact that the recipe is completely dairy-free – it uses orange juice instead of milk and oil instead of butter) and there are hundreds of recipes on the internet for it. It makes an excellent coffee cake and freezes well too.
The other day at the market, a woman approached me and said, "Excuse me, but may I ask you a question?"