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Apple Cobbler

Bowl of Gala Apples for Apple Cobbler

 

The delight of fall is seeing all the apples in the orchards and shops with apple cobblers, apple pies, candied apples, apple chips, apple bread, and apple cider.  Also in the fall, there are pumpkins of every size, squash of every variety , walnuts, hickory nuts, and pecans.  It is really harvest time.  Much thanks to be given.

small wagon

 

There are many apple cobbler and pie recipes and every cook has a favorite.  My aunt would lay out a ring of pie dough about 8 inches circle, add apple slices, sugar and cinnamon, probably butter, before wrapping the apples in a little packet to bake.  I have not tried that method, I am sure it would not taste the same.

The recipe included here is one I found long time ago, do not remember the original source.  It was for peach cobbler, which was good too.  I adapted it for apple cobbler.

Gala Apple Cobbler

Gala Apple Cobbler

Apple Cobbler

Julia Ann
An easy quick recipe to make an apple cobbler. It has a cake like topping instead of a crust.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 8 -10

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 Gala apples 16 oz. peeled and sliced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven 350 F.
  • Add lemon juice to sauce pan of water, lemon juice prevent apples from turning brown.
  • Peel and slice apples into the pan, heat until just soft, not over cooked.
  • Drain apples before using.
  • Pour the melted butter in 9 x 13 cake pan.
  • Mix flour, sugars, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl.
  • Stir in the milk until well blended. This is a thin batter.
  • Pour the batter over the butter in the cake pan, do not stir.
  • Sprinkle the raisins over the batter.
  • Add the drained apple slices.
  • Sprinkle top with pecan pieces.
  • Mix bread crumbs and brown sugar together, sprinkle sweet crumb mixture of the top of the cobbler
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when tested.

Notes

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Serving of Apple Cobbler

Serving of Apple Cobbler

From Julia Ann’s Kitchen, where you are always welcome to visit.

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American Persimmon Cake

American Persimmon

In the midwest and southeastern part of the United States recipes for persimmon cake, puddings, cookies, cheesecakes and ice cream are as popular as pumpkin recipes.  I had not eaten anything persimmon in central Indiana until I married and lived in southern Indiana. It was a yearly treat for my husband’s family.  So I learned to like this strange little fruit.  It is bitter if eaten before it’s time,  it’s ripe after the first frost.  Best eaten in desserts with whipped cream.

American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) http://kids.britannica.com/comptoms/art-153606

An interesting fact about this tree, there has to be a male and female tree for the tree to produce the fruit.  How can you tell the difference between trees?  You have to wait until the flowers come out in the spring.  It’s all in how the flowers are attached to the branch.  All hunters need to go out early October to find the female trees to hang their stand. Deer also like the persimmons.

The fruit is round, spicy-sweet when ripe, yellow to deep red with flat seeds.  To get the pulp from the fruit it must first be run through a food mill to separate the skin and seeds.
The pulp can be frozen.  Nutritionally the persimmon is high in vitamins A and C.

American Persimmons for Cake

American Persimmons for Cake                                           

Trees are harder to find now in the wild, unless you know where to go.  One time we found a tree down by Lake Monroe, south of Bloomington, Indiana.  The best spot we have now to gather persimmons belongs to a favorite aunt.  My husband has eyed the tree for this year and it is loaded and hanging heavy.  The following recipe is from Aunt’s Recipe Collection.

American Persimmon Cake

American Persimmon Cake

Julia Ann
A fruit favorite in the fall, particularly in the midwest. Recipes abound for pudding, cookies, cakes and even a fudge recipe. This is a soft moist cake or pudding. Serve it with whip cream or vanilla ice cream
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
  • In a medium bowl, add flour, sea salt, cinnamon, soda; whisk to blend. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
  • Add the persimmon pulp and blend.
  • Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the sour milk, beat after each addition.
  • Add the vanilla.
  • Pour into the prepared 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
  • Bake 45 minutes or when cake tester is inserted, it comes out clean.

Notes

*To make sour milk: 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or apple cider in 2 cup measure; add milk to 2 cups. Let stand 5 minutes to allow milk to sour.
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American Persimmon Cake

American Persimmon Cake

 

Julia Ann andcookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox©2007-2018  Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com.  All rights reserved.

 

Preserving San Marzano Tomatoes

Preserving San Marzano Tomatoes

Fresh San Marzano Tomatoes

At the local farmer’s market I bought San Marzano Tomatoes.  I had not seen them before and took the opportunity to try them and preserving some.  They are similar to a Roma tomato, long shaped and meaty, with small core and few seeds.

I washed them, poured boiling water over for 3-4 minutes, then put into ice water bath. The skin peeled off easily.  They were cut in half and laid out on a pan lined with parchment paper.

San Marzano tomatoes ready for oven drying.

San Marzano tomatoes ready for oven drying.

Fresh thyme was put on the paper, then topped with the tomato halves.  I sprinkled olive oil and Kosher salt on tomatoes and baked at 450°F for 15 minutes.  The oven was turned off and the pan of tomatoes were left in the oven for 2 hours to dry.

Oven Dried San Marzano Tomatoes

Oven Dried San Marzano Tomatoes

Preserving San Marzano Tomatoes

Julia Ann
This is an easy recipe for fixing home oven-dried tomatoes as a means of preserving for later use.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours
Course Oven Dried Tomatoes
Cuisine American
Servings 3 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds of San Marzano tomatoes

Instructions
 

  • Wash and remove tomato skins by pouring boiling water on them for 3-4 minutes.
  • Drain, put into an ice water bath.
  • Peel tomatoes, skins come off easily.
  • Cut tomatoes in half, remove core and seeds.
  • Drain on toweling or a towel.
  • Put parchment paper on cookie sheet, spread thyme sprigs on paper.
  • Place the tomatoes on top of thyme.
  • Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and season with Kosher salt.
  • Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat, let tomatoes dry out for 2-3 hours.
  • Put into jelly jars and cover with olive oil.
  • Refrigerate. Olive will become solid, but will melt when setting out to use.

Notes

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I put the tomatoes into jelly jars and partially covered with olive oil and stored in the refrigerator. They were soon used in salad, soup and sauce and soon were gone.  They were softer than the commercial dried tomatoes and much better flavor.  I could be partial.

I prepared the next 2 lbs of San Marzano Tomatoes as for drying, except I put them in freezer bag in one layer and froze them.  I haven’t cooked with those yet.

Frozen San Marzano Tomatoes

Frozen San Marzano Tomatoes

There were about 1 1/2 pounds of the tomatoes left, so decided to make a puree. The preparation was removing skins, cutting in half, removing core and the seeds.  I put them into blender, pureed until smooth.  I had 1 1/4 cup of puree which was cooked in small kettle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar.  I cooked to reduce it to one-half.

Preparing San Marzano Tomatoes to make puree.

Preparing San Marzano Tomatoes to make puree.

I poured it into a 1/2 pint jar which was hot from boiling and covered with lid and ring.  I sat it into a pot of hot water which covered the jar letting it come to rolling boil and let boil for 20 minutes.  Then removed the can from the hot water to cool for 24 hours and also to seal the lid.

1 cup of seasoned Canned San Marzano Puree.

Preserving  seasoned  San Marzano Puree.

I hope this will give you incentive to try San Marzano Tomatoes and to give drying, freezing and canning a try.  When doing it in small amounts, it is more manageable in time and space to work and for storage.

Have you done canning, freezing or drying?  Please let me know what you have preserved.

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Peaches: Canned and in a Cake

How To Can Fresh Peaches

Canning Fresh Peaches and Baking a Cake

Canning fresh peaches and baking  a cake makes for good eating, not for dieting. 6 pounds of Velvet peaches from the farmer’s market made 6 pints of canned sliced peaches in a light sugar syrup: 1 cup sugar to 3 cups of water. After washing the peaches,  boiling water was pour over them for about 40 seconds, lifted out of  hot water into an ice water bath to cool and loosen the peel enough to slide off easily. I sprinkled on some lemon juice to prevent browning then cut the peaches in half-inch slices.  These peaches were freestone, that is, the peach stone came out easily.

Before the canning, I washed the pint jars in the dish washer and left them until ready to fill.  I also boiled lids and jar rings in water, kept hot until ready for use.  By canning in a hot water bath, I started the water boiling in the canner before starting. The sugar syrup also was made ahead to have hot, close to boiling point, to add the sliced peaches for 5 minutes.  The hot peaches were put into pint jars,  sugar syrup was added leaving 1/2 inch space; lids and rings were put on.  The pints were put into the boiling water of the canner, covered to boil for 20 minutes. (Process time varies at different altitudes.) The jars were lifted out, carefully, and set on a towel to cool.  The lids will pop when they are sealed.  After cooling 24 hours, they can be stored on the shelf.¹

 Did you know fresh peaches are recommended in weight control?

There are less than 70 calories in a large peach, and no fat.  Yes, there is sugar, a carbohydrate, however it is a natural sugar which also have vitamins and minerals, unlike the carbohydrates eaten in cakes, cookies and sodas.  Other benefits to eating fresh peaches are vitamin A and C, fiber and potassium.  Add them to cereals, smoothies, cottage cheese, yogurt, lettuce salads or baked ham.²

Now how about a recipe for Peach Upside Down Cake with calories!

PEACH UPSIDE DOWN CAKE RECIPE

Peach Upside Down Cake

Julia Ann
A buttery moist cake topped with sweet fresh peach slices with a syrup drizzling over it.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup unsalted melted

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven *325 F for 10-inch glass pie plate; 350 F for 10-inch cake pan.
  • **Place foil on bottom shelf to catch any dripping juices.
  • ***Wash and slice peaches into 1 tablespoon lemon juice, gently coat peach slices.
  • Mix brown sugar with melted butter in a small bowl.
  • Spread evenly on bottom of pie plate or cake pan
  • Add toasted almonds.
  • Drain juices off peaches; arrange peaches on sugar-butter mixture.
  • Measure and blend dry ingredients in bowl.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs one at time, beating after each addition.
  • Beat in almond extract.
  • Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk, beat after each addition to blend.
  • Pour batter on top of peaches.
  • Bake 45-55 minutes, test for doneness by inserting tester in center; it comes out clean when done.
  • Serve warm with whip cream or ice cream.

Notes

*Baking in glass takes longer to heat up, but maintains temperature. If there is much sugar in the recipe, it is best to bake at 25 degrees lower to prevent burning the sugar before it is baked through. **Putting foil in the oven while it is preheating brings the foil up to the oven temperature. The sheet will catch any juices while baking. ***Adding lemon juice to the fresh sliced peaches prevents browning. This is drained off before using the peaches.
cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® es, bring you great recipes for your cooking experience. ©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com. All rights reserved.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 Additional information on canning, freezing or drying
Inspired by ³Gourmet Magazine, 1993.

cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com.  All rights reserved.

 

Savory Baked Sweet Corn Recipe

Netta Belle’s Choice Savory Baked Sweet Corn

Julia Ann - Summertime Corn

Slected fresh corn from a local farmer’s market. The husks will be removed to prepare the ears of corn for parboiling.

Indiana sweet corn is at its peak; the yellow and/or white kernels are full and crisp with sweet milky juice. Corn on the cob, or roasting ears are the summertime treat, to be eaten and preserved by canning or freezing. Corn is a versatile vegetable used in soups, salads, side dishes, cornbreads, and entrees.  There are multiple uses of corn from corn syrup, snack foods, pet foods and ethanol.

The nutrients in corn are fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B 3, manganese and vitamin B 5 and antioxidant benefits. There are 143 calories in 1 cup of corn, not counting added butter when eating corn on the cob.  Fresh picked corn is best used the same day, or kept cool or refrigerated or has been in the shade at the farmer’s market.  Heat causes natural sugars of corn  turn to starch losing some of its sweet taste. Select corn with full kernels, when punctured the juice is white.  Fresh corn will have green husks tightly around it and not dried out.

Corn can be steamed, cooked in boiling water, grilled in the husk, microwaved or put in the oven to bake in the husks. Whole corn is cutting the kernel off the cob; fixing  cream corn is cutting the  kernels off the cob, then scraping sides to get the sweet milky juice.

Savory Baked Sweet Corn Recipe

I purchased the corn for  Savory Baked Sweet Corn  soon after the corn had been brought in from the field at a local farmer’s market.  It was a yellow and white variety with plump firm kernels, rows complete to the very top of the ear. The husks and silk were removed. The water was heated in a kettle until boiling, corn was added to come to boil again for 7 minutes. When done, the corn was put in ice water to cool before cutting. This is also prepares corn for freezing. Four large ears of corn were used to get the 2 cups of corn.  The kernels were cut off, the cobs were scraped to get the sweet milky juice. The corn was set in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Savory Baked Sweet Corn Recipe

Julia Ann
Summer fresh corn is just right for a Savory Baked Sweet Corn Casserole. A dish for family or a pot luck dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Casserole
Cuisine American
Servings 6 -8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon butter to grease a 1-quart casserole dish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter casserole dish.
  • Combine flour, sugar, seasonings in large bowl.
  • Melt butter to cook onion until softened.
  • Add the milk, beaten eggs, cream corn, buttered cooked onion, cheese, parsley and crumbs to the dry ingredients.
  • Stir to blend well.
  • Pour into the buttered casserole.
  • Sprinkle top with paprika.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until set.
  • Test for doneness by inserting knife in center and it comes out clean.

Notes

cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.
©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com. All rights reserved.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

* Turmeric is a medicinal root with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties grown in South Asia of India and Pakistan.  The rhizomes are boiled, dried and ground into a powder for use as spice for cooking and in curries.  The orange-yellow color spice has a slightly hot peppery flavor and will color the food yellow when cooked.

Granulated Black Peppecookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice®  bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com.  All rights reserved.