Apple Cinnamon Cornbread

Gorgeous blue skies and a lovely early spring temperature in the upper 60s made last evening a perfect time for Mark to grill a pork tenderloin marinated in Italian dressing. I used up some red and green cabbage plus some grated carrots to make coleslaw, and wanted a starch that wasn't the same-old-same-old.

So I took a basic cornbread recipe I've had forever and added apples and cinnamon to the mix. The result was a nice complement to a great piece of meat, followed by a terrific breakfast item with a generous drizzle of honey added.


Apple Cinnamon Cornbread
Makes 9 servings

2 apples, chopped fine (skin on)

2 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 1/2 teapoons cinnamon

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup organic cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels

Grease 9x9x2 baking pan and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use a steamer to 'wilt' apple pieces over high heat, about 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, toss apples with sugar and cinnamon until thoroughly coated. Set aside.

Mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add beaten eggs, milk and oil; mix together. Fold in corn and apples. Pour batter into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Harvest Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Glaze

There's something about fall that definitely brings out the 'nester' in me. And when I nest, baking is often part of that equation. Here's a fun way to empty out your produce drawers and create a very unusual but healthy (relatively!) dessert. ENJOY!

Harvest Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Glaze

Serves 15-20

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 large apple with skin on, plus 1/4 cup water
1 cup grated carrots (start with about 1 1/4 cups carrot pieces)

1 cup grated zucchini , skin on (start with about 1 1/4 cups)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup extra virgin olive oil (which adds sweetness to the cake)

Using food processor, chop walnuts fine and set aside. Cut apple into bite-sized pieces, add to food processor with water, and puree to the consistency of apple sauce; set aside. Grate carrots - set aside; and zucchini - set aside.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients thoroughly, and then add eggs and olive oil. Fold in apple puree, carrots, zucchini and walnuts. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan, two, eight-inch layer pans or 15-16 cupcake papers. Pour batter in pan and bake 40-45 minutes in a 350-degree oven (20-25 minutes for cupcakes). Let cake cool to room temperature and top with

Honey Cream Cheese Glaze

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 cup honey

Combine butter and cream cheese thoroughly. Stir in vanilla and honey to create a medium thick glaze. Spread evenly over cake, which will show through glaze.

Warm Apple Cinnamon Compote

Bored with my typical breakfast and wanting a new recipe to share, I created a healthy combination of fall's best apples, natural sweetener, fiber, and protein. It was filling and full of flavor.

If you're not a big cinnamon lover like I am, back off the amount by about 1/2 a teaspoon - but the honey does do a good job of counterbalancing this big flavor. There will also be leftover warm topping so feel free to add more to each serving.

Warm Apple Cinnamon Compote
serves 2

Apples:
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups thin-slice apples with skin on
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Melt butter over medium high heat. Add apples and coat thoroughly. Add honey and coat again. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until soft. Add cornstarch and stir until liquid thickens, 1-2 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and combine thoroughly. Remove from heat.

Warm topping:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oatmeal
2 tablespoons walnuts, broken in small pieces

Melt butter over medium high heat. Add oatmeal and walnut pieces, turn and cook on low for five minutes.

To serve:
2 teaspoons raisins
1 teaspoon honey

For each serving, place 1/2 cup of apple mixture in a small bowl. Sprinkle with one tablespoon warm topping and 1 teaspoon raisins. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon honey.

Freezer Fun

Sometimes, it pays to rummage through your freezer. On Sunday, I found a bag of cranberries and put them in the refrigerator to thaw. Yesterday I pretended it was the middle of fall, turned on my oven, and played in my kitchen for a couple of hours. The result was this luscious pie in which cranberries become a purple-red mash of tartness, apples retain a touch of crunch, and a crumb topping adds another dose of sweetness. Perfect for fall, or any time your freezer yields this unexpected treasure.

Cranapple Pie
Serves 12-16

1 ½ cups cranberries, washed and sorted

2 cups water

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups of apples, peeled and diced in one-inch pieces

½ cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup apples, peeled and diced in one-inch pieces

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 baked, deep dish pie shell

Topping:

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

½ cup packed light-brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

In a large, non-reactive, non-stick saucepan, combine cranberries, water, sugar and cinnamon over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.

Blend cornstarch thoroughly in water. Add mixture and 1½ cups of apples to cranberry mixture and combine well. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 more minutes. Add remaining ingredients to the pan and simmer, uncovered, for 10 more minutes. Allow mixture to cool slightly and then pour in piecrust. Refrigerate while making topping.Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in sugar and flour, cover with a lid and microwave on high for 2 to 2 ½ minutes, stirring twice, until slightly browned and bubbly. Spread out on foil until cool enough to handle and then crumble all over top of pie. Cool pie at least three hours before serving.