Peaches, Pears, and Apples OH MY

Sunday was a busy day.
There was plenty of picking going on.

My husband, daughter, and I went to my parent's place to pick fruit.
My sister showed up to help too.

Dad has a apple tree with a bumper crop.
A couple pear trees and a couple peach trees too.

The peach are the small white Iowa peaches.
Here is some of what we brought home.

These are not everything either.
The fruit crisper drawer is full of apples and there is a cooler full in the garage.
I have a cooler full of pears that isn't in this pictures.
There is also a huge box of peaches sitting in the back of the truck.
Too full for us to want to move until some of the peaches are gone.

Mom and Dad also have tons at home.

I did make butterscotch peach jam yesterday.

Today I am planning on making applesauce.
I may freeze some apples today too.
Later this week, I will be doing apple butter.

The pears aren't ripe yet.
They don't ripen til picked off the tree.

I am still doing tomatoes too.

One day I need to find time to cook my neck pumpkin.
This I got from a friend.

I'm going to be busy.
But, a good kind of busy.

Legacy Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

This is a fantastic cake. It has chunks of apples in it and is covered with brown sugar frosting.
When you make the frosting, it make not seem like enough. But, believe me, it is.
It is really moist. It is also made with whole wheat flour. So, it you are looking to add more whole grains to your diet, this fits the bill.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease and flour a 9"x13" cake pan.

Ingredients:

CAKE-
2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup(2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups peeled and chopped apples-4 apples

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices an a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars til light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Mix in the water and vanilla extract.
Blend in the flour mixture and stir til evenly moistened.
Fold in the apples.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes until the cake tests done when using the toothpick test.
Remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

BROWN SUGAR FROSTING-
5 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons milk
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and salt and cook until the sugar melts.
Add the milk, bring to a boil, and pour into a mixing bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
Stir in the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract.
Beat well.
If it seems too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
Spread over the cake while the frosting is still warm. Otherwise it will cool and firm up and be hard to spread.

If you like walnuts, you may replace 1 cup of the apples with 1 cup walnuts.

Homemade Applesauce

Making your own applesauce is a cinch. If you are lucky enough to have your own apple tree or have someone give you some, you really should try making it yourself.
If you have enough, you can can it or even freeze it. Or just make small amounts and store it in the refrigerator.

You will need a dutch oven or large saucepan.
If you are making a large batch get some canning jars and flats with rings or freezer containers ready.
If canning, get out your water bath canner or pressure canner.
You will also need a food processor, hand held blender, or potato masher.

Ingredients:

Apples- 3 pounds will make just over 1 quart of sauce

water or bottled apple juice-1 to 2 cups, depending on how many apples you have

Sugar to taste- optional


Peel, core, and chop the apples.
Put in the cooking pan.
Add enough water or juice to the apples so that the apples won't burn.
Cover the pan and turn on the heat.
Stir frequently.
When the liquid and apples come to a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.
The apples will be very soft.
Stir frequently.

Now, you can get out your potato masher and mash them into sauce by hand. If the apples are soft enough, this is very simple.
You can also use a hand held blender or puree them in a food processor.
When all the apples are sauced, put them back into the pan.
Now, taste them and add some sugar to your liking. Just add a few tablespoons at a time and cook the sugar in.
Taste and if needed add a little more sugar.
When it is as sweet as you want, bring back to a simmer and cook to desired consistency.
Remove from heat and put in jar to can, freezer containers to freeze, or store in the refrigerator.

If canning, process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes- both for pints and quarts.
You can also pressure can it for 15 minutes under 5 pounds pressure.

Fruit Coffee Cake

You can use many different fruits for this coffee cake. I used blueberries because I grow them and we had plenty.

You will need an 8" square pan.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups chopped, peeled apple, apricots, peaches or pineapple; you can also use 1-1/2 cups blueberries or raspberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1-1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter

In a saucepan, combine the fruit and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
Simmer for 5 minutes, unless you are using the raspberries. Do not simmer those-they fall apart.
Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch and stir into the fruit.
Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thick and bubbly.
Cook and stir 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat.
In a bowl, combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
Cut in the butter til you have coarse crumbs.
Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
Add that mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until moistened.
Spread half the batter into baking pan.
Spread fruit mixture over that.
Drop remaining batter in mounds atop the fruit filling.
Mix together the remaining sugar and flour. Cut in the 2 Tablespoons butter til you have coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle that over the coffee cake.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden.

Serves 9.

Apple Dumplings

An apple dumpling is an apple baked inside a piece of pastry. They are best served warm and maybe even with some ice cream on the side.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
You will need a 11" x 7" pan or a 9" x 13" pan.

Ingredients:

Syrup-
1-1/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons butter

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add butter to the syrup.
Set aside.


Pastry-
2-1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
6-8 Tablespoons water

Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening with a fork or pastry cutter until the shortening is the size of small peas.
Add the water a little bit at a time, mixing just til it is moistened.
Form it into a ball.
Roll it out on a floured counter or board to approximately 18" x 12" size.
Cut into 6 equal pieces.


Inside-
6 medium small apples
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Peel and core the apples. You can use you vegetable peeler for this. Or you can use a separate apple corer to core the apples. Otherwise, you can slice the apple in half and cut the core out and stick both halves together on the pastry square.
Once all the apples have been peeled and cored, put them each on their own piece of pastry.
Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle over the apples.
Moisten the edges of the pastry squares with water.
Bring up the four corners over the apple and pinch the dough together to seal.
Place the pastry covered apple in the baking pan.
Pour the syrup over the dumplings.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the apples are tender and pastry is browned slightly.

To serve, spoon syrup over dumpling.

Makes 6 yummy apple dumplings.

Dutch Apple Bread

This is my grandma's recipe for Dutch Apple Bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease an 8"x4" loaf pan

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon sour milk
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chopped apples
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange extract 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping- 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix topping in small bowl and set aside. Cream the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and extracts and blend. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. When
you have it all mixed well, add the apples.
Scrap into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the topping.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or til a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let rest for 5 minutes before loosening and turning out of the pan.