Thankful for warm spices and apples

Our church has a fun Thanksgiving tradition - on the night before Thanksgiving we meet and have a service of thanksgiving and have a dessert potluck afterwards. What better to do the prep for a day of eating then a night of desserts as a starter? This spice cake is more of an apple spice cake - but the title is missing that detail. Apple sauce and shredded apple make this a very moist cake. Add all the spices and it's perfect for Fall. The recipe calls for brown butter for the frosting, but brown butter isn't necessarily my thing. Full on cream cheese frosting with regular butter for sure is! I even used vanilla bean paste to make it even better. When we were leaving for home from church, I was putting the lid on and someone ran over and asked if they could take a few pieces home - of course! I love bringing home an empty container - that means what I brought was well loved!

Super Moist Spice Cake
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
1 and 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup shredded apple (or shredded carrot/zucchini)
optional: 1 Tablespoon unsulphured or dark molasses

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into 4 slices
8 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
optional, for garnish: sprinkle of ground cinnamon or nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch pan. I always use this glass pan. See recipe Notes for other pan size options.
Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, and molasses (if using). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Some small lumps are OK. Fold in the shredded apple until combined.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 38–40 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil (I usually do this around the 25-minute mark).
Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
Brown the butter for the frosting: Set out a medium heatproof bowl because you’ll need it at the end of this step. Place the sliced butter in a light-colored skillet or saucepan. A light-colored interior is crucial for determining when the butter begins to brown. Melt the butter over medium heat and stir or whisk constantly. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Continue stirring/whisking, keeping a close eye on it. After about 5–7 minutes, the butter will begin browning and you’ll notice lightly browned specks forming at the bottom of the pan. The butter will have a nutty aroma. The color will gradually deepen, from yellow to golden to golden-brown; once it’s a light caramel-brown color, immediately remove from heat and pour into the bowl, including any brown solids that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely and solidify.
Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the solidified brown butter on high speed until creamy and smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat again until smooth and combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then gradually increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes.
Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. If desired, top with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes slicing easier.
Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

More pie for all!

When we got married, we had wedding pie instead of cake, I had no real preference, Andy was all about the pies - apple and cherry. So when people ask about my favorite pie, if strawberries aren't around, it's always French Silk. But a good French Silk is hard to find. Baker Square has ruined me and closed most of their stores! I saw this recipe with the Oreo crust and decided I needed to try it, but I doubled it and put it in a sheet pan for a dinner we went to at our pastor's house. The crust was not the easiest to cut through so some people seemed to miss it when they served themselves some. But we've been enjoying all the left overs we brought home. I would absolutely make this again. It does not have raw eggs so people who are weirded out by that, shouldn't be with this recipe. Sure you have to cook them a little and not scramble them, but you can do hard things. Heck if you want to feed a crowd - double that bad boy up in a sheet pan and have a giant pie! More pie for all! That sounds like a great campaign slogan. I'd vote for me!

French Silk Pie
For the Crust:
18 Oreo cookies with the filling
3 tablespoon melted butter
For the Filling:
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate or extra dark 85% chocolate (I like this one), finely chopped
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup 35% heavy whipping cream
For the Topping:
1 cup 35% heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
chocolate curls for topping

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray or brush lightly with melted butter.
Make the crust. Place Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Make the filling. First combine chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan with 1-inch of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. You can melt it in the microwave while stopping to stir after every 20 seconds. Set it aside to cool.
Bring a small pot filled with 1 inch of water to a simmer over medium heat. In a heat-proof bowl, combine eggs with half of the sugar (½ cup or 100g) and whisk to blend well. Place the bowl over the pot so it rests on top and make sure the bottom doesn't touch the water (the bowl should be large enough to rest on top of the pot). Whisk constantly while over the heat until the mixture reaches 165 degrees F on a digital thermometer. It will feel very warm to the touch and completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers so that you don't feel any grit from the sugar.
Remove the bowl from over the heat and place it on a tea towel. Beat the egg mixture on high speed while gradually adding the remaining ½ cup of sugar, and continue to beat until very pale, thick and tripled in volume (ribbon stage). This will take 3-5 minutes. Mix in espresso powder if you're using it. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla extract, then gently whisk until it in. It will thicken as you stir, turning into a pudding-like consistency. Let it cool for about 30 minutes while stirring occasionally until the mixture doesn't feel warm but isn't solidified. It needs to cool enough so that it doesn't deflate the whipped cream.
Pour cream into a clean bowl and start beating on medium speed until it thickens, then increase speed and beat until it forms soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream gently into the whipped chocolate mixture in 2 or 3 stages until no white streaks remain. I usually fold in one third of the cream to lighten and loosen the chocolate mixture, then I fold in the rest.
Pour this luscious chocolate mixture into the cooled crust. Place it in the fridge and let it set for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. If chilling for more than 4 hours before serving, cover loosely with foil.
Make the topping. Pour cream into a clean bowl and beat on medium speed until thickened. Then, sift in the powdered sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the chilled pie and top with dark chocolate curls.

When it tastes as good as it smells

I took the week of Thanksgiving off but it certainly didn't end up being for relaxing, it was from eyes open to close - getting as many things done as I could. That meant turning on the crockpot on to give me some dinner help. I read nothing but great reviews of this Italian Beef. Normally Italian beef to me smells better than it tastes... is that weird. I decided to toast up the rolls as suggested with butter and garlic salt. Add that provolone cheese and these sandwiches were a hit! Far more a hit than I thought they would be. Looking forward to making them again and toasting up the whole bag of rolls instead of just a few halves. Look at me looking forward to Italian Beef! This recipe was very easy in the crockpot - made the house smell amazing and quick to put together in between all the meetings and appointments we had.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef
Ingredients
1 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup water (can replace with beef broth)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 bay leaves
3 to 5 pounds boneless chuck roast

In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine beef broth, water, salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, and bay leaves. Whisk to combine.
Place roast in slow cooker and pour seasoning mixture over the meat. Turn the meat once or twice to coat in the mixture.
Cover, and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
Remove bay leaves, and shred meat, discarding any fat. Toss the shredded meat with the juices in the slow cooker. Keep warm.
Serve as desired. We love serving the warm beef on rolls with Provolone cheese. To elevate the sandwiches, toast the inside of the rolls in butter and garlic seasoning before filling with meat and cheese.

Is purse applesauce a thing?

This recipe says use boneless chops, I mean sure if you have them, it would probably be way easier to fit them in the pan and cook them. If you want a Tetris challenge, keep the bones! These chops felt more complicated than they needed to be but were delicious. Recently we went out to a fancier restaurant with friends, and I ordered fancy pork chops - but they had no apple sauce. I mean really? Pork chops and applesauce, it's a thing! These chops are cooked in apples and apple butter, no apple sauces needed - unless you really want it - then by all means - all the applesauce! I judge you not. Would it be weird for me to bring a mason jar of applesauce with me to the fancy place next time? Just tuck it in my purse? All three of my dining companions would be mortified, I'm sure. Maybe I'll just make these again instead.

Juicy Apple Butter Pork Chops
Ingredients
For the pork and produce:
4 boneless pork chops
1 large onion, sliced very thin
1 medium honeycrisp apple, thin slices
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
For the sauce and aromatics:
1/2 cup apple butter
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 fresh rosemary sprig (optional)
3 fresh sage leaves (optional)

Liberally season the pork chops on both sides with salt and black pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add a drizzle of olive oil if needed, then add the pork chops.
Sear for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are nicely browned and reach an internal temperature of 145˚F.
Once cooked, remove the pork chops from the pan and transfer them to a plate.
Tent with foil to keep them warm.
I like to let the pork chops rest under the foil for a few minutes—this helps keep them juicy.
Add the thinly sliced onions and apple to the same skillet over medium heat.
If using, add the fresh rosemary sprig and sage leaves as well.
Sauté, stirring often to prevent burning, until the onions are translucent and the apples have softened.
This should take about 5-7 minutes.
Add the apple butter, whole grain mustard, and water to the skillet with the sautéed apples and onions.
Stir well to combine and coat everything in the sauce.
Return the browned pork chops (from Step 1) to the pan, nestling them into the sauce.
Let everything cook together for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the pork is heated through.

The cabinets tell us when they need to be cleaned out...

Andy has been asking me to make Beef Barley Soup with some of our beef, we have a lot of freezer beef. Recently when our cabinet brackets broke - again - I noticed we still had pearl barley - so it seemed like the time. Oh - don't your cabinet brackets break routinely? Ours do. You see we clean out our pantry somewhat often because the brackets break, the shelves crash down and knock them all down. It gives us a chance to see what is in the back of the cabinet and get rid of old stuff. It often gives Andy a chance to give me a hard time about old stuff too. I don't think he means to give me a hard time... but I'm short and can only reach so far into the cabinet so I call not my fault.... kind of. I have found new brackets that break less, which is nice. This last time I was able to fine a new package of them in the basement and get the mess cleaned up pretty quickly. Someday we'll have a new kitchen and shelves that don't collapse on themselves. It's going to be great - someday.. We also can't wait to not have a stove in the middle of our island and hang the microwave on the wall!! I talk like this is happen any time in the near future, it's not. But it's still nice to dream about! Anyway... this soup is more of a stew - it gets very thick but it's warm and cozy and perfect for a cold day!

Beef Barley Soup
2 tablespoon Olive oil - For browning beef
1 tablespoon Butter - Added after browning
2 lb Beef stew meat - Cut into bite-sized chunks
1 cup Pearl barley - Not quick-cooking
6 cup Beef broth - Use low-sodium if desired
2 cup Water - Adjust based on thickness
3 Carrots - Sliced into rounds
3 Celery stalks - Chopped
1 Yellow onion - Diced
3 clove Garlic - Minced
1 cup Mushrooms - Optional, sliced
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon Dried thyme
1 teaspoon Dried rosemary
Salt To taste
Black pepper - To taste
2 tablespoon Tomato paste - Adds richness
tablespoon Fresh parsley - For garnish, chopped

Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil, brown beef in batches, remove and set aside.
Add butter to pot and scrape up browned bits.
Sauté onion, carrots, and celery; add garlic.
Stir in tomato paste and cook; add mushrooms.
Return beef, add broth, water, herbs; bring to simmer.
Simmer covered for 1 hour until beef is tender.
Add barley and simmer another 45-60 minutes.
Adjust seasoning, remove bay leaves.
Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley, serve with crusty bread.