Apple Galette des Rois

January 6 marks Epiphany or Three Kings Day in the Christian faith, when the three wise men visited the baby Jesus after he was born.  In honor of the occasion many countries in Europe celebrate with a King's Cake.  In France it's known as galette des rois, traditionally made with puff pastry and an almond frangipane filling.  This year to mix things up a bit I made an Apple Galette des Rois.

The inspiration for this variation came from a chausson aux pommes, a French apple turnover found in any boulangerie.   I made a very simple  compote filling using my favorite apple variety, honeycrisp.  The galette came together in no time at all since I used store bought puff pastry to encase the apple filling.   Not one to forget the all-important fève or charm, I hid a walnut half in the cake.   

One bite of the compote filling and crisp puff pastry and I am now fully converted to the apple galette des rois.

Dutch Apple Cake

 

I've visited The Netherlands exactly twice: the first time as a university student passing through with a Eurail pass and the second when one of my besties was working there on a long-term project.   During neither of those trips did I have the fortune to taste the famous appeltaart (more like cake) from Cafe Winkel 43 in Amsterdam. Actually, I'd never even heard of this famous dessert until I saw it on Amanda Frederickson's blog when she tried to replicate it at home.  Since we're at the beginning of fall I thought her Dutch Apple Cake would make the ideal first bake to celebrate the season. 

Amanda's recipe makes a 9-inch cake, but I ended up halving the ingredients and making a smaller cake using a 6-inch pan.  I was happy when the downsizing worked out perfectly.  For the apples I used my favorite variety, honeycrisp, which are crunchy, sweet and tart and hold up perfectly when baked.   The cake baked up to a lovely golden brown and it took all my willpower to not slice into it straightaway.   As soon as it cooled I indulged in a slice with vanilla whipped cream.  My first taste was a triumph and unlike any other apple cake I'd had before.  The cake top was almost like shortbread while the apple chunks in the middle add a nice, fruity contrast.   I can't wait for my next visit to Amsterdam so I can try the original, but until then this replica version suits me just fine.

Applesauce Bundt Cake

 

Autumn is finally here and after making half a dozen cream tarts last month I was ready for some fall  baking.  First on the docket is this super easy to make and super delicious Applesauce Bundt Cake.  I did a google search for "applesauce" cake and it came back with this recipe.  No equipment required and everything is mixed together in one bowl.  As Ina Garten would say, "How easy is that?"

Since I'd never made this cake before I wanted to test it out using just 1/2 the recipe and baked it in a 6-cup bundt pan.  The only other adjustments I made to the recipe were to 1) add chopped honeycrisp apples to the cake batter and 2) finish the cooled cake with a thick glaze made with apple cider and powdered sugar.  If you read the recipe reviews you'll find that several people commented to reduce the oil amount by 1/2 cup and replace it with an equal amount of applesauce, to give the cake more apple flavor.  Next time I think I'll do that.

Dutch Apple Pie

If you've made apple pies before then you've probably encountered the same issues that I have after they're baked.  The dreaded air pocket between the filling and the top crust.  This normally happens because the apple filling shrinks as the pie cools.  Don't get me wrong, it doesn't impact the taste in the least, but the Virgo in me (aka perfectionist), is chagrined.

Dutch Apple Pie is the solution!  Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.  It's perfect because there's no top crust to contend with, therefore no air pocket.  And who doesn't love the buttery crumb topping?  Genius!

If you were following my InstaStories then you know that this pie was actually my second attempt at making Dutch apple.  In the initial recipe I tested the filling came out too watery and the crust was a bit too gummy.  I went back to the drawing board and mashed up a few components from different recipes to get to this beauty you see here before you.

Without a doubt my favorite pie crust of all time is the foolproof one from Cook's Illustrated that contains vodka.  It is seriously no fail and bakes up crispy and flaky every single time.   For the filling I piggybacked off my Honeycrisp Apple Pie but tweaked it ever so slightly.   Everyone knows Dutch apple pie is all about the crumb topping and Cook's Country has the best version around.   

When combined, all three components were culinary magic.  I'll definitely be making this pie again for Thanksgiving.  I recommend you do too!

A New England trip and some Apple Cider Donuts

I just returned from a five day trip with my family to the Northeast where the main items on the agenda were leaf peeping and experiencing a New England autumn.  Living in California, and especially San Francisco, late September to mid-November normally signals Indian summer so witnessing the fall colors has been on my bucket list.  The visit really exceeded my expectations.  So much in fact that I'm thinking of making it an annual outing going forward.  

Something I absolutely had to do on this trip was go apple picking and of course sample freshly made cider donuts.  I discovered Cider Hill Farm when I was researching online for u-pick farms.  Its location was ideal because it was only about an hour north of Boston (our home base) and in the general direction of New Hampshire where we were headed for leaf peeping. 

We got to Cider Hill just as it opened at 8am and as soon as we approached the farm shop the smell of freshly made apple cider donuts filled the air.  Absolute heaven!   After gobbling down a half dozen with some hot cider we set about focusing on the task at hand - picking apples!  

There were so many different varieties to choose from and the countless rows of trees were bursting with ripe fruit.  In the end we decided on Empires, with a few Ambrosias thrown in.  One hour and a half bushel of apples later and we left the farm fully satisfied.  

When I got back home to SF all I could think about were those delicious apple cider donuts.  Normally I avoid deep frying at home but in this case I had to make an exception.  I found a recipe from Smitten Kitchen, a highly trusted source, so I felt confident they would be great.   I wasn't wrong - they had a crispy, crunchy exterior with a soft cake-y interior.  So delicious!

The next time I make this recipe I'll probably just make the donut holes.  I actually prefer the smaller portions because you don't feel so bad eating a few in one sitting.  My favorite way to enjoy them?  With a cup of piping hot apple cider, of course!  

Honeycrisp Apple Pie

My dear friends Frank and Evelyn moved from San Francisco to Seattle several years ago.  Both had lived and worked in the Bay Area for more than a decade but actually grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so their return to the Emerald City was a homecoming of sorts.  

I try to visit them at least once a year and on my most recent trip up north I requested we go apple picking.  Honeycrisp apples in particular, known for being sweet, slightly tart and definitely crisp.  Washington state produces the majority of the apples grown in the US and apple picking is a time honored fall tradition.

We drove about 45 minutes outside of Seattle and headed to The Farm at Swan's Trail.  The weather couldn't have been better and because it was the beginning of the season there was an abundance of fruit just ripe for the picking.  Forty five minutes and about fifty pounds of apples later we went home thoroughly satisfied.   

 I ended up bringing about ten pounds of apples back to San Francisco (in my checked luggage!) and was determined to bake something with them.   Up until now I hadn't had much success with apple pies, but when I did a google search for Honeycrisp recipes I came upon this one from epicurious.com claiming it was their "favorite apple pie."  

 The filling was super easy to pull together, but rather than using the included crust recipe I instead used Cook's Illustrated's foolproof one.   It's the most buttery, flaky crust I've ever tasted, owing to the use of vodka, and knew it would be fantastic for my pie.  Golden brown and bubbling from the oven, the pie smelled heavenly.  But the real test would be once it was cooled.  Would the filling be soupy and mushy, similar to previous pies I'd made?  The verdict: NOT AT ALL!   

 

One bite of the cinnamon and nutmeg infused apple filling and I was hooked.  Epicurious was spot on, Honeycrisp apples were the perfect variety to use for pie baking - sweet and tart but still able to hold their shape.   I think I've found my very own foolproof apple pie recipe!

 

Morning Glory Muffins

Why is it that nowadays some places have the chutzpah to refer to massive un-frosted cupcakes as "muffins"?  Have you stopped by the bakery department of your local Costco lately?  You know which ones I'm talking about.

In search of something more to the core of what a muffin should be I was really happy to find this recipe from Cook's Country.  I'd never heard of Morning Glory Muffins before but with ingredients that included carrots, coconut, walnuts, apples and pineapples it sounded delicious and healthy to boot.  Full disclosure: I'm a sucker for anything with pineapple and coconut!

I made these for Mother's Day breakfast recently and they got the thumbs-up.  How could they not?  They met all of Mom's requirements: not too sweet, moist and super flavorful. 

Deep Dish Apple Pie

No, no, I didn't drop off the face of the earth!  My three month absence from the blogosphere can be easily explained.  Basically, I was without a kitchen - no kitchen, therefore no baking.  See?  But now I'm back and making up for lost time.  Thanks to all of you who haven't given up on me.  

This Thanksgiving I hosted fourteen of my family.  If ever there was a reason to freak out that may have been it.  Luckily, with some pre-planning, preparation and lots of help from my mom and sisters things went as smooth as could be.  The 19-lb turkey was brined and roasted in three hours using a fantastic Cook's Illustrated recipe.  I've made it for the last few years and it always comes out absolutely delicious - so plump and juicy with super crispy skin every single time.  

As for Thanksgiving dessert, pumpkin pie is my all-time favorite but apple is definitely the runner-up.  I had been waiting to make CI's Deep Dish Apple Pie specifically for this occasion.  The recipe can be found at their online cooking school.  [You may recall that I was lucky enough to win a 1-year scholarship to the school many months ago.  I highly recommend checking it out if you're really interested in learning to cook or becoming a better cook].    

The crust uses vodka along with water to make it super flaky and pre-cooking the apples on the stove avoids the common issue of a soggy filling.  Accompanied with vanilla ice cream it was absolute bliss.

Quick and Easy Puff Pastry

 

If ever there was a Seven Wonders of the Baking World I think puff pastry, or pâte feuilletée, would have to be on the list.  It's one of the most versatile doughs you can work with for sweet and savory treats.   I grew up using the store-bought variety from Pepperidge Farm, a great product BTW, but wanted to try my hand at making it from scratch. 

Traditional puff pastry is very labor intensive and requires rolling and folding a butter block around a flour dough, similar to making croissants.  I'd heard about a quicker method where the butter is actually processed into the dough eliminating the need for lamination.  It sounded great but would the finished product really measure up?

When it doubt I always turn to the cooking and baking experts at Cook's Illustrated.  Their recipe for quickest puff pastry was supposed to deliver the multiple layers I was after in a dough that took 15 minutes to make.  Seeing is believing so off I went to test it for myself.

What can I say?  I'm definitely a believer!  The dough came together so quickly I thought it was too good to be true.  But the real test would be how the pastry performed in the oven.  I used the dough to make some French apple tarts and I couldn't believe how high they puffed.  The layers were so buttery, flaky and crispy.  All I can say is "Adios Pepperidge Farm...I've found something better."

Susanne's Eplekake (Norwegian Apple Cake)

For the past couple of years I've been fortunate enough to spend New Years with some very very dear friends in Norway.  They're like family, except they don't speak Vietnamese!   Mornings are normally spent hitting the ski slopes of Norefjell, just behind the cabin.  The rest of the day is pretty much devoted to one (or more) of the following: eating, surfing the net, reading, watching tv or just chatting. 

We always eat great meals up in the mountains.  There's nothing like exercise and cold weather to fuel an appetite.   During that time of year way up north there's only a few hours of daylight.  So when you're inside for most of the day you can't help but think , "what's next on the menu?".  It also doesn't hurt that we all love to eat and are foodies in the making.

When it comes to Norwegian baking I always turn to Susanne, the family's expert.  This is her recipe for eplekake, or apple cake, a traditional and popular dessert in Norway.  I've heard that most every household has their own favorite recipe.  The ingredients are simple and the cake is absolutely delicious.  I dusted the finished cake with some icing sugar, which is a bit unconventional, but I don't think Susanne will mind.  Tusen tusen takk Susanne!!

Apple Strudel

I took a bit of a baking sabbatical in January.  First because I was going to be travelling quite a bit and wouldn't have much time, and second, quite honestly, because I OD'd from all the baking I did during the Christmas holidays.  But, it's February 2010 (the Year of the Tiger..my year!) and I'm back with a vengeance. 

This was my first time making the famous Austrian pastry and it was long overdue.  You wouldn't think it, but Austria has a long history in the baking arts.  Did you know that the baguette and croissant, two of France's most famous symbols, were actually created in Austria?  Yes, it's true.  That's where the French word viennoiserie comes from, it essentially means pastries originating from Vienna.  

If you're thinking this is like the strudel found in your supermarket freezer case you're out of luck.  You know which ones I'm talking about.  The ones from that chubby little dough boy that require a toaster.  No, no, no.  This is authentic apfelstrudel and I'm happy to report that everything from the dough to the filling was made from scratch.  

I was quite surprised at how easily it was to make strudel and the ingredients are staples in any pantry.  The challenging part of the recipe was rolling and stretching the dough so that it was super thin.  According to experts it should be so thin you could read a newspaper through it.  I didn't bother putting that to a test but for my first attempt I'm quite pleased with the results.  

The strudel tasted great warm from the oven.   Golden flaky crust and tart apples with a hint of cinnamon and sugar but not too sweet.  All it was begging for was a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  If only I had some in my freezer.  Oh well, next time.