Category Archives: Dessert

Cranberry-Apple Streusel Crisp

27 Friday Nov 2009

Posted by in Dessert, Recipe, Vegetarian

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This delicious variation of apple crisp combines the sweetness of local fall apples with the tartness of New England fresh cranberries. Serve crisp hot, room temperature, or cold with a couple scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking (click here for the original recipe). (* Indicates CSA vegetable.)

INGREDIENTS

For the streusel

  • 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped lightly toasted walnuts
  • 1/4 tsp. table salt
  • 3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

  • 5 medium tart baking apples (or a mixture of CSA apples)*
  • 6 oz. fresh cranberries (1-3/4 cups)
  • 3/4 cup plus 6 Tbs. granulated sugar
  • 1 oz. (3-1/2 Tbs.) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, set a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, walnuts, and salt. Using your fingers, blend the butter into the flour mixture. Set aside.
  3. Make the filling. Peel, quarter, and core each apple. Cut each quarter lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and then cut each slice crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals to make tiny rectangles. In a food processor, pulse the cranberries with 3/4 cup of the sugar until coarsely chopped. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 6 Tbs. sugar with the flour, ginger, and cinnamon. Toss in the cranberry mixture and apples.
  4. Mound the filling into a 8X8″ baking dish. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apple mixture, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle.
  5. Put the crisp on the heated baking sheet and bake until the streusel is deeply browned and the filling is bubbling vigorously at the edges of the pie, 50-60 minutes. Check every 20 minutes, and if the pastry edge or the streusel browns before the filling is done, loosely cover the top or edges of the pie as needed with aluminum foil.
  6. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Fresh Apple Cake

02 Monday Nov 2009

Posted by in CSA, Dessert, Recipe, Vegetarian

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applecake

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour (plus 1 tbsp for dusting the baking pan)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 4 cups apples (about 5-6 medium apples, peeled and cut into small 1/4 inch pieces)
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (such as pecans or walnuts)
  • 1 cup dried fruit (such as golden raisins or currants)
  • Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

  1. Peel and chop apples.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a bundt pan evenly with cooking spray and dust with about 1 tbsp of flour. Remove any excess flour.
  3. Mix dry ingredients (flour through nutmeg, only) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk wet ingredients (eggs through oil, only).
  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in apples, nuts and dried fruit. There is only enough batter to evenly coat the apples, nuts and dried fruit. The mixture will be very sticky.
  5. Pour evenly into bundt pan and cooking for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve with vanilla ice cream.