Take 2: Baking with Apples!

Due to certain New Year's resolutions (which haven't been adhered to very strictly...), I was searching for a great low-fat recipe with which to utilize my new mixer!

I was looking through the community cookbook, and found a low-fat apple cake. It sounded awesome, and doesn't use any butter at all. I'm really not one to favor any lack of butter- especially with baking, but I figured I'd give it a try because my sweet tooth is just plain out of control. I really don't think I'll be breaking any copyright rules posting the recipe, so here it is:


Pat's Low-fat Apple Cake

3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c sugar
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz applesauce
splash of milk
2 or 3 apples
Confectioners Sugar

Topping:
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbs flour

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray square or round cake pan with cooking spray. Beat egg whites and vanilla together. Add sugar a little at a time. Sift together in a separate bowl flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to first mixture. Add applesauce and splash of milk. Beat until smooth. Add apples of your choice and pour into square or round cake pan. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle on cake; bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

This cake is super moist and delicious! I really don't even miss the butter at all, and I didn't use any confectioners sugar. I think this is definitely something that'd be better served warm. It's interesting, because of the applesauce and all the apple slices, the texture reminded me a little bit like kugel. It's delicious!

I also started to think that I could make this for my dad, who is diabetic. I'm sure I could substitute both sugar components for the Splenda stuff, and get the no sugar added applesauce. This would be a much better option for him in the morning instead of pastries and coffee cake! I'm also thinking I could add oats to the recipe to give it extra texture, and extra healthiness.

Lesson Learned: I Don't Really Know How to Bake

My KitchenAid mixer was staring me in the face today, and I had to do something about it. So, I decided to look through my community cookbook from my home town and found a chocolate chip pound cake recipe. Baking is still pretty tricky for me, and now I know why even Top Chefs are scared to bake anything. The recipe called for a loaf pan, and I didn't have one, so I improvised... Lesson learned.

I used a muffin pan and a cupcake pan. The cupcake pan is actually pretty sick- my boyfriend got it for me last year for Christmas, and the cupcake pans are shaped like ice cream cones. I don't think I greased the pan enough, so I think I made a mistake there as well.

Take a look at the pictures. The things are ugly as hell, but tasty! A lot of them look and taste like muffin tops. And we know what the best part of a muffin is...

Chicken Marsala A La Marinello: Last Meal on Death Row Worthy!

So you've probably noticed in my list of favorite things is Chicken Marsala A La Marinello, which is chicken marsala made by my boyfriend and served with white rice and peas. I don't think I can give you the recipe since it's a family secret, but it's "sooo easy," and contains a ton of butter. It's one of my absolute favorite meals, so my boyfriend made it while we were visiting his friend Christian on New Year's Eve. It was a perfect way to end 2008!

Alex is a secret cook. He learned great Italian things (boppity boop for all you Family Guy fans) from his mother, who is the queen of the Shrimp Marinara a la Marinello, and so he cooks some staple dishes every once in a while. I'm not a huge fan of Chicken Cacciatore, but there's something about his sauce that is phenomenal. I think he almost burns the tomatoes and gets this awesome flavor out of them. Anyway, it's thanks to him that I really became interested in cooking well, and he's encouraged and supported me no matter what- even with my weird "experiments." Despite the rule that you never buy women any sort of kitchen appliance as a gift, he bought me a Cuisinart mixer for Christmas (that's what I wanted!), and I cannot WAIT to get back up to Boston to bake scrumptious treats!

I even joke around that if I were on death row, his chicken marsala would be my last meal. Too morbid? Nope. Just delicious!