Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

I made this Bundt cake in Fall of 2023. Our apple tree produced in abundance so I was able to make several different recipes with the bounty from my own tree. Our apples have a unique taste. In 2016, the summer after we got the house, we planted a Fuji Apple tree. What didn't occur to me was that across the lawn the previous owner had planted a Mock Crabapple Tree. Thanks to the bees, our Fuji apples are a little bit smaller and have a very slight tartness to them. It's actually a very pleasant taste.

This Bundt cake is smothered in a buttery brown sugar glaze and so moist and delicious!

Fresh from the oven and this cake looked so perfect that I almost decided not to put the glaze on top.

Just look at that glaze! It was so beautifully perfect.

The kitchen smelled so good!

Look at how beautiful this cake was.

I know I keep saying the word "beautiful" but I seriously, just look at it.

Apple Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:

• 3 c All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 3 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1-1/4 c Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 c Plain Yogurt
• 1-1/4 c Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1/2 c Sugar
• 3 large Eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
• 1 c Walnuts, chopped
• 3 c Apples, 2-3 large, peeled and chopped

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1 c Dark Brown Sugar, packed
• 1/4 c Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 c Heavy Cream
• 1/2 c Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, yogurt, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until combined and creamy.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and slowly whisk until no large lumps remain. Try to avoid over-mixing.
6. Carefully fold in the walnuts and apple chunks.
7. Spoon/pour the thick batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
8. Bake for 55–75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Keep your eye on the cake after 55 minutes. Feel free to cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil about halfway through to prevent heavy browning on top.
9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack.
10. Then invert onto a serving plate once cooled and ready to serve.

Make the glaze:

1. As the cake cools, prepare the brown sugar glaze.
2. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
3. Stir constantly until the butter has melted, and then stop stirring.
4. Let the mixture come to a rapid boil.
5. Boil for 1 minute.
6. Turn the heat down to low, give it a quick stir.
7. Let simmer for 1 minute.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar.
10. Allow glaze to cool and slightly thicken for at least 10 minutes.
11. Spoon glaze over the cake right before serving. (Cake can still be warm when glazing.)

If your glaze thickened up too much as it cooled, warm in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir until smooth.

1.  Enjoy!

               Ingrid

Pico de Gallo

It's amazing how easy Pico is to make. This recipe was a family favourite but I haven't made it in a while. If you have tortilla chips lovers, like I do, you may want to double this recipe. You can also use pico de gallo on carnitas like my Tex-Mex version or my more traditional version cooked in lard.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

        1 med Tomato, diced

        1 Onion, finely chopped

        1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped

        2 sprigs Cilantro, finely chopped

        1 Scallion, finely chopped

        1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

        1/8 tsp Salt

        1/8 tsp Pepper

Directions: 

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, jalapeno (to taste,) cilantro and scallion.
2. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
3. Stir until evenly distributed.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Mom's Chicken and Dumplings

I posted my Mom's Chicken and Dumplings recipe a while ago and realized I had missed a couple of crucial ingredients in my transcription. I removed that one and am sharing the revised version. It's so much better with this correct version. I do apologize for that but I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does. This recipe took me a while to figure out, since my Mom wouldn't allow anyone in the kitchen while she cooked. Eventually I did come up with this version.

Mom's Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

        2 lbs Bone-in Chicken Breasts

        10 Cups Water

        1 tsp + 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

        1 tsp + 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

        2 Carrots, chopped

        2 stalks Celery, chopped

        2 cloves Garlic, or 1 tsp Garlic Powder

        1 medium Onion, diced

        1 Bay Leaf

        2 tsp Oregano

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in a large Dutch oven (I use an 8-quart). 
2. Pour water into the pot.
3. Add the first teaspoon of salt and pepper. 
4. Cook on medium-high until the meat can easily separate from the bone (about an hour). 
5. Remove the chicken from the pot.
6. Allow the chicken to cool. 
7. While the chicken cools, chop the vegetables.
8. Add the vegetables to the broth. 
9. Add the bay leaf, oregano, salt, and pepper to the broth. 
10. Cook on medium-high until the vegetables are tender. 
11. As the vegetables cook separate the chicken from the bone.
12. Shred the chicken in a bowl.
13. Add the chicken to the broth/vegetable mix. 
14. Warm the chicken for about 15 minutes before adding the dumpling batter.

For the Dumplings:

        2 cups of Bisquick Baking Mix

        3/4 cup Milk 

        (You may substitute homemade, but this is my Mom's recipe so it's comfort food to me.)

1. In a bowl mix until well blended. 
2. Drop by tablespoons into broth. 
3. Turn down temperature to a strong simmer (3 on the average electric stove).
4. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
5. Cover and cook 10 more minutes until dumplings are cooked. You can test this by using a spoon to scrape the top layer of the dumpling. The inside should not be moist.
6. Spoon into bowls and enjoy.

Serves 8. 

Enjoy!

            Ingrid