Apple Cake

GERMAN APPLE CAKE

Ingredients 4 or 5 baking or cooking apples such as Granny Smith
2 cups plus 5 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup egg substitute
1 cup applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp solid-type or pourable fat-free margarine
1 to 2 Tbsp water



Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray.
Dust with flour, completely covering surfaces. Tap out excess flour;
set aside. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples into a bowl.

2. Combine 5 Tbsp sugar with the cinnamon; sprinkle over the apples
and toss to cover them evenly; set aside. In a large mixing bowl,
combine the flour, remaining 2 cups sugar, salt, soda and baking
powder. Whisk to blend evenly.

3. Add the egg substitute, applesauce, vanilla and orange juice. With an electric mixer, blend on low
speed for 1 minute; increase speed and blend an additional 3 minutes.

4. Fill the prepared pan with alternating layers of batter, then
apples, then batter, then apples, ending with batter. Bake for
one hour and 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

5. Remove to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert to remove from the pan
and continue to cool. Meanwhile prepare the glaze by mixing the
ingredients until smooth. Drizzle on the cooled cake.

Drink Recipe

Nikler

Ingredients Brandy

1 slice Lemon
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Coffee

Preparation
Fill a Pony Glass (tall shot glass) with the cheapest brandy that you can find. -- Take your round slice of Lemon and place it over the top of the pony glass. -- Open a packette of Sugar (apx 1 tsp) and pour it on 1 half of the lemon leaving the other half bare. -- take 1 tsp instant coffee and pour it on the other half of the lemon (beside the sugar). -- Fold the lemon slice in half and put in mouth biting off the rine. -- Chew and swallow the lemon combination and chase IMMEDIATELY with the brandy in the shot glass.

Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Basic Ice Cream Cake Recipe

15 3 Tb 2 2 quarts 12 oz

Chocolate crème-filled sandwich cookies Butter or margarine Favorite candy bars Flavored ice cream (your choice) Frozen whipped topping, thawed

Multicolored sprinkles or small candy decorations

Oven Temp ~ Baking Time ~ Pan Type ~ Springform

On a cutting board, finely chop cookies, 2-3 at a time. Place butter in small microwave-cooker. Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted. Mix in cookie crumbs. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a springform pan. Freeze 15 minutes.

Cut candy bar into 4-5 pieces; wrap in plastic wrap and freeze 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces.

Cut ice cream container apart to expose block of ice cream. Cut half of ice cream into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange ice cream slices over cookie crust, cutting pieces to fit. Spread into a smooth layer. Sprinkle with chopped candy bar. Top with remaining ice cream prepared the same way as first layer. Smooth top with spreader. Cover with aluminum foil. Freeze 3 hours or overnight.

Attach open star tip to a decorator. Fill tube with whipped topping and set aside. Run knife around edge of ice cream cake. Release collar from pan. Lightly frost top and side of ice cream cake with remaining whipped topping. Decorate with whipped topping using decorator. Top with sprinkles. Freeze 1 hour or overnight. Once whipped topping is frozen lightly cover cake with plastic wrap.

To serve, cut into wedges. (If cake was frozen overnight, place in refrigerator 10 minutes before slicing.)

Yield: 12 servings

OaTMealL

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate

Chunk Cookies

From the back of the Craisins Sweetened Dried Cranberries package

Makes approx. 2-1/2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package sweetened dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips (~ 4-ounce bar, chopped)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°F.*

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

* I opted to chill the dough overnight before baking.

Coffee Cake Recipes

White Chocolate Cranberry Coffee Cake Recipe

1/2 cup 1/2 cup 1 cup 1/2 cup 2 1/2 cup 2 Tb 3 Tb 1 cup 1 cup 2 tsp 1 1/2 cups 3/4 cup

Less fat margarine Light cream cheese Brown sugar, packed Splenda or Equal or (1/4 cup sugar) Eggs, Large Egg substitute Grated orange zest or ( 1 tsp orange extract) Orange juice Whole wheat flour Unbleached white flour Baking powder Fresh or frozen cranberries White chocolate chips

Oven Temp ~ 350° Baking Time ~ 1 Hour Pan Type ~ 9 inch tube pan

Preheat oven, coat pan or bundt pan with canola cooking spray.

Add margarine, light cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar (or sugar substitute) to large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then egg substitute (1/4 cup at a time), orange zest and orange juice, mixing well and scraping sides of bowl at least once.
Measure a cup of whole-wheat flour and stir in the baking powder. Slowly add the whole-wheat flour mixture to the mixture in the mixing bowl, beating on low speed. Slowly beat in the white flour. Stir in the cranberries and white chocolate chips with a spoon.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely and serve.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 200 calories, 5.5 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 36 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 177 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 32%.

arugula salad

Arugula & Strawberry Salad

A rich source of iron and vitamins A and C, arugula is nonetheless in desperate need of balancing—here, with aged balsamic vinegar, walnuts and strawberries, another one of springtime's jewels.

4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 4 cups baby arugula, or torn arugula leaves
• 2 cups sliced strawberries, (about 10 ounces)
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved and crumbled into small pieces (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar, (see Ingredient note)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a salad bowl; let cool for 5 minutes. 2. Add arugula, strawberries, Parmesan, pepper and salt. Sprinkle vinegar and oil over the salad; toss gently and serve at once.

Tips & Notes

* Ingredient Note: Aged balsamic vinegar (12 years or older) is a treat, but not an economical one. If you don't want to spring for a $40 bottle, use regular balsamic. Alternatively, bring 1/2 cup regular balsamic vinegar to a boil over high heat in a small skillet. Cook until the vinegar begins to thicken and become syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 204 calories; 16 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 251 mg sodium; 262 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (70% daily value), Calcium (20% dv). 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 2 1/2 fat

Chocolate Cake Recipe

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

Serves 12 to 14

Chef Ed Kasky used Callebaut semisweet chocolate for the cake and Guittard French-vanilla chocolate for the frosting, but any fine-quality semisweet chocolate will produce a wonderful result in either.

INGREDIENTS

For cake layers

• 3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut

• 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee

• 3 cups sugar

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

• 3 large eggs

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting

• 1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Special equipment

• Two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans