Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte    (Jan)

Fall brings beautiful colored leaves, which in turn fall off and create a blanket of nature's tapestry.

Fall brings beautiful colored leaves, which in turn fall off and create a blanket of nature's tapestry.

Apple Picking makes for good pie baking

Every year we would take our children apple picking. As soon as we came home, the apples needed to be tested in a pie crust.....yum.

Here we are apple picking with my sister in law and brother in law in 1987.

Here we are apple picking with my sister in law and brother in law in 1987.

Pooh is on the mark with this sentiment. Last November I had to say goodbye to my best friend 😔💙💙

Pooh is on the mark with this sentiment. Last November I had to say goodbye to my best friend 😔💙💙

One bad apple can spoil the barrel...

Believe it or not, the apples from this orchard were the worst apples, ever.  We came back home and started to bake the pie. They videotaped me mimicking Julia Child. We had so many laughs taping. When we settled down, we had dinner and brought out the pie....oh how embarrassing - the pie was inedible. We threw away all our apples.  The birds got to enjoy them.

My signature Apple Crumb pie

My signature Apple Crumb pie

Apple pie with one crust.....

Apple pie with one crust.....

Golden French Apple cake fits the bill in the Fall...

Golden French Apple cake fits the bill in the Fall...

Start the day with elegant French toast topped with cooked apples

Start the day with elegant French toast topped with cooked apples

Comments

09.11.2022 23:16

Kathie Pipitone

Jan, They look delicious. Looking forward to making a few.

04.11.2022 23:06

Jill

I loved reading this latest installment, of course. The apple picking picture is a treasure. Were the apples in that pie rotten? Why was the pie bad? You are such a creative cook!!! ❤️

04.11.2022 17:34

Denise

Jan I can’t wait to make the apple cake. If I wasn’t on my way to NYC I would start now!

05.11.2022 18:29

Jan Conte

Oh Denise, it's a perfect Fall Apple Cake. It's such an easy recipe. Hope you enjoy it.❤️❤️



Let's get baking!


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees


 1 whole thin skinned orange, remove the stem and cut in quarters. Keep the skin on the oranges.

In a clean large food processor, add the orange quarters, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, three large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp of Triple Sec liqueur, optional, 2/3 cup vegetable oil. 


Pulse all ingredients in the processor and then puree until mixture becomes a batter with specs of orange peel.


Add to the processor:


2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt


Process all dry ingredients until they are entirely incorporated into the batter.


Bake in a greased and floured spring pan, using a parchment paper circle on top of the greased bottom.*


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in the center rack of the oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.


Remove from your oven and let it cool down completely. Dust with powdered sugar or make a drizzle of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange until thick and smooth.  Pour onto the cooled fresh orange cake.


*if you don't have a large processor, you can use a blender.


Enjoy with some espresso and close your eyes and it will feel like you're in Sicily.