Fresh Approach Cooking

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Dear Auntie Shesh,

Thank you so much for reading! You are so amazing, and I love you so much.

As I exclaimed, when I was at your warm and welcoming home, I couldn't get enough of your easy, crumbly, moist and delicious walnut cake.

It was perfect.

As you know, I enjoyed it after the wonderful dinner you made.

Then had a slice or two for breakfast.

Then because it had lasted so long, I went ahead and had the last bit as an early lunch.

Then it was all gone.

I'm glad you all woke up so late, and didn't catch me in the act.

And I'm glad you got a few slices before I supped it all up, because I would have felt terrible if I had eaten it all.

Oh Auntie, I adore that you (like your little sister) are such an amazing chef, baker and cake decorator. Thank you for sharing all of that with me. Its so fab.

And thank you for sharing this recipe! I'm sharing it with everyone else now, with a few tweaks of my own.

So readers, try this and if you can, I encourage you to share it with your Aunties, and, of course, taste the joy.

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
6 small apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and tap out the excess flour.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whis until well mixed.

Using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar.
Add the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 batches, alternating with the milk and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir well and fold in the nuts and vanilla.
Using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.

Fold the whites into the batter just until mixed. Spread the batter in the cake pan. Bake in the center oven rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

To prepare the apples, in a sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and cook until just softened.

Sprinkle with the sugar. Add the spices and lemon juice and mix well. Cover to keep warm.

Whip the cream and sugar until the cream is thick but not dry.

Add the cinnamon and continue whipping until the cream is the desired consistency. Serve the cake topped with the apples and cream.

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Most of the 'cinnamon' sold in the U.S. is actually cassia

Several recent lawsuits are alleging that some of the nation's biggest retailers and grocery chains sold "organic" milk that wasn't organic. The lawsuits target Target, Costco, Wal-Mart and other chains. They focus on the stores' sale of milk from Colorado-based Aurora Organic Dairy, which recently agreed to change its practices after the USDA found more than a dozen violations of organic standards. Among them: that cows had little access to pasture, that Aurora moved its cows back and forth between conventional and organic farms, and that it sold milk as organic that did not meet federal standards. The stores sell Aurora's milk under their own in-house brand names, such Target's Archer Farms.

Labels: Dessert