Everything apple is what I want in the fall… apple pie, apple crisp, caramel apples, and this apple cake from “Food & Wine”!  It is an explosion of brown sugar, caramel, and apples.  It’s a special dessert to serve for a fall get-together or even for Thanksgiving.  Enjoy!

CAKE INGREDIENTS:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

TOFFEE SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup water
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon brandy

CARAMELIZED APPLES INGREDIENTS:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons water
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform tube pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the granulated sugar. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Fold in the diced apples with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool slightly.

• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream and brown sugar and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Remove the toffee glaze from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

• Place the warm cake (still in its pan) on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the hot glaze over the cake and let it seep into the cake, poking lightly with a toothpick. Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours. Invert the cake onto a plate, and invert again onto another plate, right side up.

• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Cook without stirring until a medium-amber caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and quickly but carefully stir in the cream and butter. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the brandy. Pour the toffee sauce into a pitcher.

• In a large skillet, melt the butter and the brown sugar. Add the apples and cinnamon and cook over moderately high heat, turning the apples once or twice, until they are tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the water to dissolve the caramel in the skillet, then transfer the caramelized apples to a plate.

• Slice the cake and serve with the caramelized apples, toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream.

MAKE AHEAD: The unmolded cake can be stored in an airtight container overnight at room temperature. The toffee sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; reheat gently before serving. The apples can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

What could be better for dessert than a delicious homemade Banana Cream Pie?  I have never made this pie before and the banana cream is luscious.  If you love whipped cream, bananas, and old-fashioned vanilla wafers, then you’ll love this pie.  This recipe is from a wonderful dessert cookbook called “Back In The Day Bakery Cookbook”, by Cheryl & Griffith Day.  This is a collection of recipes from as they say “the best little bakery in the south’.  I can’t wait to try the S’More Pie, stay tuned next week!  I need to get a kitchen blowtorch to melt the marshmallows.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 large egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons banana liqueur, such as crème de banana, or 2 teaspoons banana extract
• 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
• 1 recipe Nilla wafer piecrust, prebaked (Recipe below)
• 3 large bananas, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices, plus more for decorating
• 1 recipe fresh whipped cream (Recipe below)
• Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish
• Nilla wafers for decorating

DIRECTIONS:

• In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until thick and pale in color.  Set aside.

• In a medium saucepan, heat the half-and-half to just below a boil.  Whisk about 1 cup of the hot half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture to temper the yolks, so they won’t curdle, then, continuing to whisk, add the remainder of the half-and-half in a steady stream.

• Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

• Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and banana liqueur or extract until well combined.  Let the filling mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes to cool slightly, then whisk in the butter until the custard is smooth and silky.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard so that a skin does not form and let cool for 30 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature.

• When the filling has cooled, pour half of it into the prepared piecrust.  Add a layer of the sliced bananas, followed by the rest of the filling.  Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

• Pile the whipped cream on top of the pie with a spatula.  Sprinkle with grated nutmeg and decorate with vanilla wafers and banana slices.  The pie is best served the same day, but it can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

TIP – Here is a great way to prevent bananas from turning brown in your pie.  Using a pastry brush, brush them with lemon or orange juice.  Other liquids you can use are lime juice, pineapple juice, orange soda, or lemon-lime soda.

RECIPE: Fresh Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS:
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), whip the cream on medium speed until is starts to thicken.  Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until the cream holds nice soft peaks.

RECIPE: Nilla Wafer Piecrust

INGREDIENTS:
• 3 ½ cups Nilla wafers
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS:
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

• Put the cookies in a zip-top plastic bag and pound them with a rolling pin until they become coarse crumbs.  Alternatively, pulse the cookies in a food processor.  You should have 2 cups.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), mix the cookie crumbs, flour, sugar, salt, and butter on low speed until the crumbs and flour are evenly moistened, 3 to 5 minutes.  You may be tempted to add more butter – don’t.

• Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish.  Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown.  Let cool completely before filling.