Grandma Schwob’s Baked Apples

image by Marius Watz; via Flickr CC license. NYC0712 142 Red Hots

This is a family recipe.  I remember these VERY well from my childhood.

Ingredients:
apples (however many you want to make).
white sugar
flour
salt
red-hot candies (see photo)
small white marshmallow

Peel apples.  Cut them in half and dig out the cores, leaving half apple cups.
Rub a little lemon or orange juice on them if you don’t like them getting brown.

image by Kat Martinez, via Flickr CC “peeled, stacks and stacks”

Mix together:
3/4 c. sugar (Grandma used white — this amount of sugar covered a 13×9 pan full of apple halves)
1 T. flour
dash of salt

Place apples cut side up in a glass or stainless steel baking pan. Sprinkle the flour/sugar/salt mixture over the top of the apples.  Add a couple of handfuls of red-hot candies trying to keep most of them IN or ON the apples. (*NOTE:  These are not Hot Tamales. They are the little red cinnamon candy pieces.)  Pour some water carefully into the bottom of the baking dish (not all over the top so you don’t mess up the goodies).  Bake until tender.  Right before it is done, put marshmallows on. (She used the small white marshmallows).  (*Continue baking for just a few more minutes until the marshmallows melt and puff up.  You can brown them a bit if you watch them carefully, but don’t let them burn!)

 

image by Kent Landerholm via Flickr CC license: marshmallows

That is it.  That is all there is on the recipe card.  It looks like my very young handwriting so I’m assuming she must have dictated it to me when I asked her for the recipe.

I’m guessing 350 degrees for about 30 min.?  The card doesn’t say.

The apple trees in my grandparents very large backyard were mostly a variety my mom called “transparent.”  They were fairly small, light green or pale yellow-skinned and very tart.  Grandma made delicious pies and baked apples, and she must have made other stuff, too — like apple sauce.

I really liked the pie, but I think the baked apples were my favorite, though, because of the red-hot candies and marshmallows.

If I were going to tweak this recipe, I would definitely add some a dusting of cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg or Penzey’s Apple Pie Spice.  I would probably use less sugar and would think about using all or at least half brown sugar.  Baking the apples in apple juice instead of water would probably improve the taste, too.

You could use the larger marshmallows if needed.  I would probably cut them in half or even quarters.  The small ones work really well for this if you can find them.

 

Creme de Menthe and Fudge Cake

A Farmgirl’s dabbles — Judi’s Grasshopper Cake

I have fond memories of this cake from my high school years.  I posted a link on my facebook wall to this blog post and recipe, but none of my HS friends remember this cake as I do!  (My sister does, though, so at least I know I’m not losing my mind.)

It would be a great cake to make for St. Patrick’s Day, if you feel like eating some green food (non-vegetable) that day!

If you have time, check out the many delicious recipes Brenda has featured on her blog:  http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com

Enjoy!

Anne’s FABULOUS 6 Minute Chocolate Cake

image by jazzjava via Flickr CC

This is a tried and true, absolutely moist and delicious, quick to make chocolate cake.  The recipe has no eggs and no milk, so it is a good thing to make when you are avoiding a trip to the grocery store but still want dessert.

I know I’ve said this before, but please consider using Penzey’s spices!  The cocoa is delectable and it makes a HUGE difference in the final product.  I always use Penzey’s vanilla, too.

Anne’s FABULOUS 6 Minute Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. cold water or cold coffee
2 t.vanilla
2 T. white vinegar

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the dry ingredients.  Sift or stir with a whisk until fluffy and evenly mixed.  Mix the wet ingredients except the vinegar together then add to the dry.   Whisk until smooth.  Gently stir in the vinegar.  The batter will bubble.  Bake in 8×8 or 9″ round for 28 to 30 (it has taken 35 sometimes) minutes or until the center is not runny.  The cake is very moist so doneness tests are not always reliable.

You can mix this in the pan!

I recommend using the coffee.  The difference is subtle, but it does give a nice depth of flavor.

I like this cake unfrosted.  It is just SO good.  My family loves frosting, though.

You can double the recipe to make a 13×9 pan (350 degrees for 40 min.) or to make 2 dozen cupcakes.

Before I got this recipe from Anne, I had a similar recipe I used to make — though this one uses milk and eggs.  I think I got it from a Quick Cooking magazine, but then I made a few small changes.  Here is the link to the original recipe:  One Bowl Chocolate Cake.

Jill’s One Bowl Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. oil
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 c. hot water
2 t. vanilla

Combine the dry

ingredients.  Stir in oil, buttermilk and eggs. Add water and stir until combined.  Pout into a greased 13×9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 38 minutes until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  12 – 16 servings.

If you don’t have buttermilk (and really, who EVER just happens to have it on hand?) — you can put 1 T. of vinegar in a 1 c. measure then fill it up with milk.  Let it sit for a few minutes before using it in your recipe.

image by Nikita! via Flickr CC