I confess to getting a late start to Fall this year. I’ve refused to accept the change of seasons and it’s been so warm that it’s felt like a continuation of summer till just now as the leaves have started to turn and the night-time temperatures have dropped. With Halloween Trick or Treat’ers coming our way this weekend, it’s time though. And the garden cleanout got done while it’s still been warm and sunny. So I guess I’m ready to face the November onslaught of changes and holidays.
In advance of that, I riffled through my recipe collection seeking something inspiring to celebrate the change of seasons and also searched through the book we are currently reading in the Cook the Books reading group. This cycle it’s “The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living” by Louise Miller and indeed in reading through to the very end I found what I was looking for. The protagonist enters an apple pie in her adopted community’s annual bake-off and the book describes her anxiety as she awaits results.
What I really enjoyed in the chapter was the ”Coventry County Fair Apple Pie Judges Score Sheet”, which listed the factors on which the judges would base their decision. Points were awarded for Shape, Color, Crust Texture, Flavor, Doneness and the Filling’s Fruit Flavor, Texture and Mouth Feel. I wondered how my own creations would stack up if judged like that in such an analytical way. But thank goodness I didn’t have to go through that process because in the end desserts are judged on so many personal factors like memories they evoke and just plain tastiness.
My choice for this round-up was a new creation, an Apple-Cranberry bundt cake which I hope readers will enjoy. This round-up has been organized by Claudia of Honey from Rock (Honey from Rock) and we thank her for bringing so many delicious recipes contributed by members of the group.
Apple Cranberry Bundt Cake
Ingredients
3 fresh apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
2 apples pulsed in the food processer with the grater blade
1 ½ cup fresh cranberries pulsed in the food processor as above
2 cups sugar 1 ½ cups butter at room temperature
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle of nutmeg
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, your taste
Preparation Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare apples and cranberries separately and set aside in small bowls.
Place softened butter in a large bowl and beat with sugar till smooth. Add eggs one at a time while beating. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and pulse till combined and smooth.
Fold in apples and cranberries. Add chopped nuts. Mixture will be thick but continue folding till all are combined.
Spray non-stick spray into bundt pan. Spread batter evenly in the pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or till toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for ~15 minutes then turn out of pan and finish cooling on a wire rack. Top wth powder sugar or glaze if desired.
