Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Best Apple Cake You'll Ever Make

This recipe, like many others, are from my grandmother. I bake one every year for the holidays. Simple, but take it to a potluck and everyone will want your recipe!

Mamaw Ashby's Apple Cake

1 cup vegetable oil (you can use melted butter as long as it's one cup)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups chopped apples
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (you can use just 1/2 teaspoon of each if you want a milder taste)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9x13 pan.

Mix wet ingredients together. Sift the dry ingredients, taking a teaspoon of the dry mix and tossing with the apples and nuts (this will make sure the apples and nuts don't sink to the bottom of the cake.) Mix the dry ingredients with the wet just until combined, then fold in the apples and nuts. Pour into greased pan, bake at 350 degrees about 40 - 45 minutes, or until the cake bounces back in the middle when you touch it, or a toothpick comes out clean.

You can let it cool, but it's incredible served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or my grandmother's favorite, a scoop of buttered pecan. Yum!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Holiday Pumpkin Quick Bread

The one thing that makes me so proud is the legacy I have from my Mother, my Grandmother, and my Aunts. They put love in everything they did. If they put their arm around you, the love was there. If they lectured you, the love was there. And if they presented you with a dish that was your favorite, the love was there.

My Grandmother was born in 1899 - that's just unreal when you think about it. What she lived through, she had an amazing life. I especially feel blessed to have all of her recipes. Today I was looking for her Banana Bread recipe and I came across one for Pumpkin Bread. Now, recipes are pretty much all the same, but I noticed something I had never seen - she put a 'heaping' spoonful of the jelled cranberry sauce in the batter. I went right to the kitchen and it was in the oven in less than 10 minutes. It is delicious - easy to make and perfect for the holidays. I like to bake different breads, wrap them in the festive cello paper, tie with a bow and give them as gifts. I always have a box ready at the holidays in the refrigerator so if someone pops in, I can give them a gift to take home.


Finding this recipe today was the best gift I could have hoped for. It's like my Grandmother letting me know she's still looking out for me. What more could I ask for?


Mamaw Ashby's Pumpkin Bread


1/3 cup melted cooled salted butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
2 1/3 cups Bisquick
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I grate mine fresh)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon jelled cranberry sauce



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan, I use a 9x5x3. I also layer the bottom of my pan with parchment paper because I like the bottom of my bread to look as pretty as the top.


Stir wet ingredients together, then add the dry ingredients. Beat until combined but don't over mix. At this point, if you'd like you can add 1/2 cup of raisins, or walnuts.

Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for about 45 - 55 minutes, but check after 30 minutes in case you want to turn the pan. When a toothpick inserted comes out clean, it's done.

After cooling about 10 minutes, run a knife around the sides to loosen the loaf, remove and let cool on a wire rack. You should let it cool completely before slicing - sometimes it doesn't make it that far at my home!

For extra decadence, spread your slice with a generous smudge of cream cheese.

Make some memories today, bake something with your family. Let the scents of the holidays fill your home!