One more apple cake

Apple cake with cranberries

I am lucky to have several apple trees and some of the apples just have to be used, so I had to bake a cake again…

This one was just something quick, while the oven was still warm:

3 eggs

1 dl brown sugar (a bit more than 1/3 cup)

1 dl melted butter (3 oz)

1½ dl flour (a bit more than 1/2 cup)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 dl oatmeal (a bit more than 1/3 cup)

1 dl chopped walnuts or pecans (a bit more than 1/3 cup)

½ tsp. salt

3 apples

150 g cranberries (1/3 pound)

1-2 TBSP sugar

Beat the eggs and brown sugar creamy and beat in the melted, cooled butter.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and stir it into the eggs. Stir in oatmeal, nuts and salt.

Peal the apples and slice them thinly. Stir them into the batter and fill it into a buttered pan (22 cm/8-9 inches). Scatter cranberries on top and sprinkle the sugar over them.

Put the pan in the middle of the oven at 180 degrees C/ 360 degrees F for about 35 minutes. Check the baked cake with a toothpick – it is done, when the toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy as it is or with some sour cream or vanilla ice cream on the side.

Vanilla plums

The last plums from our summerhouse garden are now preserved.

I made vanilla plums – easy and tasty – serve on ice cream, in a cake, with rice pudding or maybe cheese.

2 kg (4 pounds) plums

1 vanilla pod

750 g (4 cups) sugar (raw or white and brown 50:50)

3 TBSP rum or whisky

Wash the plums, cut them in halves and remove the stones.

Slice the vanilla pod open and scrape out the beans. Mash them together with the sugars.

Layer plums, vanilla sugar and the vanilla pod cut in 4 pieces, in a big pot and let them sit at room temperature for 6-8 hours – to the sugar is (almost) melted.

Put the pot over the heat and bring it slowly to a boil. Turn down the heat and let the plums simmer in the sugar for about 15 minutes – try NOT to stir – just shake the pot from time to time.

Remove any foam and fill plums and syrup into prepared jars swirled with rum or whisky. Put a piece of vanilla pod in each and close the lids tight.

I love apples an especially apple cakes

Groovy apple cake

We have several apple trees in our garden and especially one has given us lots of apples this year.

It is a Belle de Boskoop – a very good cooking apple.

To day I made an everyday cake with lots of apples in it.

For 1 big cake:

4 eggs

3/4 Cup (150 g) sugar – I used cane sugar

1 tsp. vanilla powder

1/3 Cup (75 g) melted butter

3/4 Cup (100 g) flour

4 TBSP (50 g) potato starch

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup (50-75 g) shredded marzipan (almond paste)

2 pounds apples (peeled, cored and cut in thick wedges)

A little sugar and cinnamon for topping

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F (160 degrees C).

Beat the eggs and sugar thick and creamy and add the melted (not hot) butter.

Sift the flour, potato starch and baking powder together and fold it into the eggs together with the marzipan.

Pour the batter into a prepared 9 inch cake tin and stick the apples in. Sprinkle a little sugar mixed with a little cinnamon on top and pop the cake into the oven for about 1 hour. Check with a toothpick if it is done and let it rest in the tin 15 minutes before unmolding.

Serve warm or cold as it is or with whipped cream or sour cream (crème fraiche) on the side.

Happy November!

Lamb stew with celeriac

Lamb stew with celeriac

Danish comfort food.

(Serves 4)

11/2-2 pounds lamb stew meat (cut in cubes)

8-10 black peppercorns

2-3 bay leafs

2 onions (chopped)

2 pounds potatoes (peeled and cut in cubes)

1 pound celeriac (peeled and cut in cubes)

1 big bunch of parsley

Salt and pepper

To serve: rye bread and preserved red beets

Cover the lamb with water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove any froth and add 1 tsp. salt, peppercorns and bay leaves. Add the onions and let the meat simmer with a lid on for about 25 minutes.

Add potatoes and celeriac and let it simmer with the lid on for about 25 minutes.

Remove the lid and let the stock reduce if necessary. Stir the stew with a wooden spoon so the potatoes and celeriac thicken the stew. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the freshly chopped parsley.

Serve with rye bread and preserved beets.

Late summer berries

September, the best month of the year - perfect blue sky with beautiful fluffy white clouds
- and lots of wonderful raspberries in my garden for breakfast, snacks, pie and jam:)

Weekend snack

Cornbread with avocado topping

I served this for a snack with our Friday evening mojito's

Cornbread
(1 loaf)
1,6 cup (200 g) corn flour
1,6 cup (200 g) wheat flour
1 TBSP baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 TBSP brown sugar
0,8 cup (2 dl) buttermilk
0,5 cup (100 g) melted butter
5 oz (150 g) fresh corn kernels (from 1 ear or  frozen)

Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F (200 C.).
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Beat the eggs together with the sugar and buttermilk and mix it in the flour bowl.
Add melted butter and corn and fill the batter in a buttered loaf pan.
Bake for 45-55 minutes – until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the bread rest in the pan 10-15 minutes before removing to a rack.
Serve warm – or toast cold slices in toaster or on a grill.
Tip: you can add grated cheese, minced jalapeno, grated lemon or lime rind or fresh chopped herbs to the batter before baking.

Avocado topping
2 tomatoes (diced without the seeds)
1 avocado (diced)
2 TBSP lime- or lemon juice
1/2 fresh chili (chopped finely)
1/2 garlic clove (minced)
2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper

Mix the avocado topping together and arrange on the toasted cornbread.

Split pea soup with chanterelle topping

I had some left over split pea soup and served it with a good seasonal topping – I just love chanterelles.

Split pea soup with chanterelle topping

Serves 4

Soup:

2 large onions, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1-2 leeks, chopped

1/4 celeriac, diced

2 cups dried yellow split green peas, picked over and rinsed

4 cups chicken stock

Fresh thyme

10 whole black peppercorns (in a tea bag)

1/2 lemon or 1-2 TBSP cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Topping:

1/3-1/2 pound (150-250 g) fresh chanterelles

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1-2 garlic gloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 red pepper, finely diced

Salt and pepper

Fresh basil

Sauté the onions and garlic in big pot with olive oil until soft.

Add leeks and celeriac and cook a couple of minutes.

Add the drained peas, stock, thyme and pepper and bring to a boil.

Let the soup simmer loosely covered, until the split peas are very tender (about 1 hour).

Make the topping: clean the chanterelles and cut them in bite size pieces.

Stir-fry the chanterelles in a very hot pan with the oil. Add onion and garlic and stir fry a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables, turn the heat down to medium and stir fry 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add shredded basil.

Remove thyme and pepper and puree the soup with a blender until smooth.

Add lemon juice (or vinegar), salt and pepper to taste and adjust the thickness with more stock or water if needed.

Ladle into bowls or cups and serve with the chanterelle topping.