Saturday, September 21, 2013

Finally, FALL!

Gracewood Apples

 
Wherever you are you may be able to hear the hurrahs from Gracewood this weekend for Fall has arrived!  Our time of year begins and we are surely ready for it.  The woodstove has been cleaned, the pile of firewood is growing and the mornings are crisply cold.  As we go to bed on these moonlit nights we hear the elk bugling to his harem in our meadow and the fruit in the orchard is bending the branches to breaking.  Can't wait till I step outside, exhale and see the whisps of colder air.

We're picking apples and pears and have baskets like the one above full of apples all around the kitchen/dining room and the aroma is ravishing!  The ones in the photo are from our tree of Ellison's Orange, a cross between Cox's Orange & Calville Blanc, it has a sweet tart, anise like, crisp, juicy and aromatic flavor.

It is definitely Apple Kuchen time and as soon as one is consumed another must be made!  It is a very simple recipe and I thought I'd share it with you.

 
Apple Kuchen
Dough
  • 2 Teaspoons yeast
  • 1/4 cup room temp water
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • Approximaely 3 1/2 cups Flour
Place milk, butter, sugar and salt in a large measuring cup or bowl and heat in microwave until butter melts, let cool to room temp.  Whisk yeast into the 1/4 cup water and then add it and the egg to the milk mixture and then add enough flour to make a firm dough, turn out on floured board and knead for a few minutes or if using mixture knead with dough hook till it cleans the sides of the bowl, turn into lightly oiled or buttered bowl, cover with cling wrap and put in warm place for about 2 hours.
Dough patted out and topped with Apples
 

Topping
  • 5 Large Apples (combining a few types works best)
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar (1/2 white & brown works well too)
  • 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
  • 4 Tablespoons Flour
  • 4 Tablespoons cold Butter
 
Peel and slice apples (thin slices, about 1/4")
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and flour together, cut in butter (food processor works great)
Ready for the oven, this one looks lighter since I was low on brown sugar and used more white
 
 
Assembling Kuchen
 
After dough is risen, heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly oil a sheet pan (I often use parchment paper instead) and pat the dough out in the pan (don't use rolling pin) leaving the edges slightly thicker.
 
Spread the apples over the dough pressing lightly. Spread the flour and sugar mixture over the apples and bake for 30 minutes.
 
Serve this warm with a big mug of tea or coffee and enjoy! or let it cool, slice it into serving sizes and put in freezer bags and freeze.  Take out amount you want to serve and let  come to room temp or lightly microwave, great either way. 
 
Just out of the oven, wish you could smell it!
 
Just add steaming cup of coffee or tea!
 
 
 
Though harvest time is leaving a little less time for stitching, Carolina is progressing and I think it is going to look nice hung next to Beauvais.  I hope to have it finished by the time the magazine returns the model.  
 
Enjoy your Fall if you are on our side of the equator! :)

2 comments:

  1. Kathy, this recipe seems really Yummy, and if the pictures are to be believed, it looks yummy as well! Carolina is also progressing well! Continue in good health!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Lorene, Wish I could send a slice out to you! I know you are making beautiful things, happy stitching.

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