MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - SOFT APPLE COOKIES

I was very happy with these cookies, different to any cookie we have tried before.  Not too sweet and more like a miniature cake than a cookie. I found the recipe on a YouTuber’s video called Cooking Lyrics, and you can watch if you click here.

Soft Apple Cookies:

2 eggs at room temperature 

100g or 1/2 cup (or 3.5 ozs. sugar)

Pinch of salt

100g (or 3.5 ozs.) butter, softened 

320 to 340g plain flour (or 2-1/4 cup to 2-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, or 11 ozs.)

14g (or 3 teaspoons) baking powder

2 apples (I used Granny Smith)

Icing/confectioner sugar for dusting cookies after baking

Preheat oven to 180 deg C (Or 350 to 365 deg F (my oven is on the cool side so I used 365 deg F - I will leave it to you to be the judge on the heat you use - temperatures are a guide-line).

Add 2 eggs to a mixing bowl, also a pinch of salt and all the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat until sugar is dissolved and mixture looks light.

Add the softened butter until thoroughly mixed.

In a separate bowl thoroughly mix the baking powder into the flour.

Add half the flour mixture and mix into the eggs until combined. Add the remaining flour, this time folding in with a spatula until combined.

Peel and core the 2 apples. Cut into small dice and fold into the batter. 

Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.

Using a spoon, scoop up your apple mixture and put onto the baking tray in mounds, leaving a 2-inch space between them.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.  It’s always hit and miss for that first batch. They looked light on the top but were brown on the bottom. I took them out of the oven and they were done. The second batch I left them in a couple of extra minutes, and they browned more. Here again I will let you be the judge. The timing is only a guide.

Carefully transfer to a cooling rack until you can try one.

Using a small strainer, sprinkle icing sugar on top of all the cookies before serving. 

It goes great with a cup of coffee or tea.  

I recommend watching the video first, just to get a clearer idea of the steps in the recipe, or if I wasn’t clear enough when writing out these instructions.

Changes made: I didn’t have any plain/all-purpose flour. I used self-rising and left out the baking powder.

I also had no icing/confectioner’s sugar, so before baking I sprinkled on regular sugar and they were great. I made two batches. The second batch I left the sugar off and they still tasted very yummy. (Added note: see Donna’s comment about making confectioner’s sugar. Such a great idea, thank you Donna!)

The batter seemed a bit stiff so I used a few drops of milk until I got the consistency I wanted. 

A commenter at the video site said they used half regular sugar and half brown sugar, and that they tasted like a caramel apple. I might give it a try next time.

Everyone’s taste is different but we gave these cookies a 10 out of 10. Different to any cookie we have had before, and tasted like miniature cakes with delicious bits of cooked apple inside. As mentioned before, not too overly sweet so you can add a little more sugar for your own taste.

One of these makes a lovely snack. I also ate one for breakfast along with a container of lemon-flavored Greek Yogurt. It was a delicious combination.

It looks like this is good to freeze. I didn't want to leave a whole batch out. I froze them after baking the day before, took one out and microwaved it for 30 seconds. It was as delicious as if it were fresh out of the oven.  That’s when I had it for breakfast with the lemon yogurt. 

If you are not keen using the microwave, it thaws out pretty quickly, but you can always leave one to thaw the night before in the fridge and take it out to come to room temperature. Or pop it in a toaster oven to heat up a little.

This is the full address to the YouTube video.

https://youtu.be/dOR_i8waGU4?si=zCYsgaSBYvwVkGJd

  

MONDAY RECIPE POST - HOMEMADE APPLE DUMPLINGS

We have just returned from a long weekend to Williamsburg, Virginia.  The weather was gorgeous and the only time it rained was yesterday, on our journey home. It was a sprinkle and didn’t last long.  When the traffic became heavy on the freeway, we detoured on country roads for most of the way home.  Thank you for stopping by and for all your lovely comments.  I will be catching up with you in the next few days.  

I don't make too many desserts, but Gregg and I were talking the other day, and he told me he wouldn't mind having apple dumplings one night.  He used to get them years ago, a few years before he met me, and that at one time they had been his favorite dessert.  

So, it had been a while, I had this thought mulling around in my head for a couple of weeks, and I asked him if he would like me to make his apple dumpling. I didn't need to ask twice.  We immediately made the grocery list and bought what we needed that day, and he once again joined me in the kitchen.  It was fun putting this together.    

I found a recipe at Bunnyswarmkitchen.com and the original recipe is at this link.  Her last recipe posted was in August 2020, but she has been kind enough to keep her blog open. If you visit the website you will see her photos make these apples look like a work of art.  I haven't formed pastry around an apple since my home economics class back in the day, and I need a lot more practice.  But oh, my goodness, they might not have looked as pretty, but they tasted fantastic and thank you Bunny!

There is a video 'how-to' at Bunny's website for quick reference.

Homemade Apple Dumplings: serves 6

 

Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

Dough Ingredients:

2 cups all flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup Crisco shortening

1/2 cup milk

6 small Macintosh or Gala Apples about 3 inches in diameter 

Make the sauce first so it has time to cool down.

Make the dough and refrigerate until you have peeled and cored your apples.

Sauce Directions:

Put all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan. 

When it comes to a boil, let it boil a minute or two to thicken a little bit.

For the dough:

Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.  Add milk all at once. Stir with a fork until the dough just forms a ball. Place in the refrigerator until you have peeled and cored the apples.

Peel and core the apples. You can keep the apples from turning brown by placing them in cold water while you work.

Divide dough into six equal portions and roll them out on a lightly floured surface individually. You can also roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface long enough to fit 6 apples on it and cut the dough into six squares.

Place the apples on a dough square, fill the center with butter, sprinkle sugar over top then sprinkle cinnamon over top.

Mold the dough around the apple, making sure there are no opening for the filling to escape from. 

Place the apples in a 13x9 inch baking pan. 

Space them about an inch apart. 

Pour the sauce over the dumplings , then sprinkle with sugar. 

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. 

Spoon the sauce on the bottom of the pan over the apple dumplings after they come out of the oven.

If you prefer to cut and paste instead of clicking on the above link at the beginning of this post, here is the address.

https://bunnyswarmoven.net/homemade-apple-dumplings

What did we think?  Definitely a 10 out of 10.  We made a few changes.  I had a packet of puff pastry in the freezer, which I used instead of making the pastry in the recipe.  I wondered about the puff pastry instead of the shortcrust, and suggested that I make shortcrust next time.  "Nope" said Co-Chef, definitely use this again.  

There is more than enough dessert for two people with one apple dumpling.  We cut the ingredients in half and only made three.  We will share the third tomorrow.

I used a smaller dish that was big enough for the three dumplings, but did not allow a one-inch space as suggested in Bunny's recipe.  The dough expanded as expected and wasn't as nicely browned in those areas that touched.  This did not detract from the taste but I will follow the instructions next time.

We added a scoop of vanilla ice cream which was excellent, but Co-Chef mentioned how nice it would be to make a Rum Sauce.  That's what he remembered from his younger years.  He was 18 years' old when he first ate his apple dumplings. 

I thought it was going to be a hard act to follow.  More often than not, our memories of those favorite dishes in our youth, are hard to compete with.  However, this one did and I am happy it met up to expectations.

Bon Appétit Everyone!