Tag: apples (Page 4 of 6)

Thanksgiving Inspiration and Louisa May Alcott’s Recipe for Apple Slump

November 3, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 11 Comments

In anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday, my mind has been filling up with visions of warm, wonderful homemade food shared with family and friends. For me, baking is a way to stretch across space and time and connect with people from the past and the present. One book that I like to pull out for inspiration around Thanksgiving time is An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by James Bernardin. I have been a fan of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women since I was an adolescent. That novel made a huge impact on me as a girl growing into a young woman and aspiring writer. When I became a mother and my children were young, my mother gave me the above-mentioned adaptation of Alcott’s An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving. It is a book geared for young children, full of scenic illustrations and a simple, heart-warming story of a New England family in the 1800s. I was so excited to read a book by one of my favorite authors to my children, and they have enjoyed it too. Along with the story there are descriptions of the food the family ate for their Thanksgiving meal. One of those dishes was apple slump. With a name like that, I was really curious what it would taste like. Luckily, at the back of the book, there is Louisa May Alcott’s recipe for apple slump, so my daughter and I made it a few years ago. I have been making it around Thanksgiving time ever since. The spiced, baked apples are topped with a slightly sweet, rich cake-like batter. The recipe suggests we serve it with whipped cream, and I also think vanilla ice cream is lovely with it. Today, I served it on its own, and my family ate it gladly for dessert. I personally like to eat any baked apple dish with thick slice of cheddar cheese. My grandma always said apple pie was best that way. I have posted Louisa May Alcott’s recipe for apple slump below, as it appeared in the book An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving. This is a delicious dessert, and a very fun baking project to do with children in conjunction with reading the book, if you are so inclined.

Louisa May Alcott's Apple Slump

Servings: 6
Time: about 15 minutes preparation, plus about 50 minutes for baking
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Ingredients:

4 to 6 tart apples (3 cups sliced)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg (well beaten)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pare, core, and slice the apples. Lightly grease the inside of a 1 1/2-quart baking dish (I used a 9 in. x 9 in. square baking dish) with butter. Put the sliced apples into the dish. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and stir to mix. Bake apples uncovered until they are soft, about 20 minutes.

While the apples are baking, stir together into a bowl the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sugar. Mix into this the beaten egg, milk, and melted butter. Stir gently. Spread this mixture over the apples and continue baking until the top is brown and crusty (about 25 to 30 minutes). Serve with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Applesauce for the Vagabond Soul

October 7, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 0 Comments

Around this time of year, every year, I feel the old familiar stirring, the wistful yearning to be out rambling through the woods, among the golden and crimson trees. The third stanza of a poem by Canadian poet Bliss Carman captures this feeling well for me: “There is something in October / Sets the gypsy blood astir; / We must rise and follow her, / When from every hill of flame / She calls and calls / Each vagabond by name.” The trees and bushes are turning colors before our very eyes, and the beautiful changes are irresistible to the vagabond in our blood. Right along with this desire to wander in the woods is a heightened appreciation for the comforts of home. After walking outside in the chilly (and sometimes wet) elements, we savor the warmth of something simmering in a pot on the stove. Especially when it smells as good as homemade applesauce. The recipe I have posted below is one of my mom’s recipes–it is very simple, and it makes a hearty, chunky applesauce that tastes delicious and makes your kitchen smell amazing. I have great memories of returning from a long walk to her warm, fragrant kitchen with apple sauce bubbling on the stove, and I enjoy making it in my own kitchen too. It creates instant autumn coziness and warms the chilly wanderer. It’s also a good way to use apples that have gone a little soft. You can serve it warm and steaming, or use it as a healthy topping for waffles or oatmeal. Also, if you have any left over, you can store it in the refrigerator and serve it cold.

Easy Homemade Applesauce

Servings: 4-6
Time: approximately 5-10 minutes for preparation, and about 30 minutes for cooking
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Ingredients:

6 medium-sized apples, any variety–I like Empire, Cortland, or Macintosh best
1 Tablespoon water
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: Wash, peel, and slice the apples into eighths. Place them in a medium or large pot. Add the tablespoon of water (you may need another tablespoon of water, depending on how juicy the apples are as they cook). Add the sugar and cinnamon and stir. Heat the apple mixture over medium heat until the apples cook down a little and the sauce begins to bubble. Then reduce the heat to medium-low. As the apples cook and soften, stir them and break them with a wooden spoon periodically. After about 30 minutes of simmering, the apples should be very soft and as you break/mash them with the wooden spoon, they should be forming a sauce. The sauce is done when the apples are soft enough to be mashed into a chunky, hearty sauce. Serve warm in a bowl or as a topping for waffles or oatmeal, or refrigerate and serve cold. Enjoy!

Autumn Sun and Apple Cinnamon Muffins

September 29, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 4 Comments

Absolutely gorgeous weather we are having these days! The birds are gathering in large flocks in the sky, getting ready to migrate, and pumpkins are ripe in the fields, waiting to be collected. The sun is still warm and the light is golden. It reminds me of this quote from Walt Whitman: “Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling, give me juicy autumnal fruit ripe and red from the orchard.” It is the time of ripeness and fullness. My mom recently gave us a bag of Empire apples from an orchard near where she lives. It is such a good feeling to have lots of apples piling up in the kitchen, just waiting to be eaten or baked into a tasty concoction. I promised more apple recipes for apple season, and below I have posted a recipe for apple cinnamon muffins. I made a dozen yesterday morning and they are already gone. They are so moist and delicious, and they work great as part of a breakfast or for a snack. I know my kids love them, so it is a good way for me to be sure they eat something filling for breakfast before rushing out the door. I originally got the recipe from “The Family Circle Cookbook: New Tastes for New Times” many years ago, and have made only minor changes to it because it has worked so well for me. I hope you enjoy these muffins, and hope we all can savor the beautiful autumn while it is here.