It really isn’t a very hard recipe (as my sister Kelley notes: “So says Foodie in Miami”), but it’s true! The hardest part is peeling the apples and making sure the pecans don’t burn when you toast them. The measurements are all pretty standard as well- 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup flour- and the cake only takes 30 minutes to bake.

You can make this cake as easy or complicated as you wish.

It’s suggested to be served with Hot Caramel Sauce and Whipped Cream, but I sent it to my son in Tallahassee as-is and he thought it was the perfect amount of sweetness. It’s also a cake that ships well and stays moist (due to the apples) in the fridge for quite a while. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Sorry for the lack of photos. I was so focused on making the cake quickly, I neglected to take Step-by-Step pictures! And the first cake I made fell apart (due to leaving an egg out), so I’m showing both versions. It’s recommended to bake it in a 9-inch cake pan, but I used to make it in my trusty old Bundt pan for a prettier presentation.

Apple Pecan Cake

Recipe by The New York Time MagazineCourse: DessertCuisine: American

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

29

minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted

• 5 medium apples, like Granny Smith or Fuji, to yeild 2 1/2 cups

• 1/2 cup butter at room temp

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 cup flour

• The hot caramel sauce:

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

• The garnish:

• Sweetened whipped cream and fresh unpeeled apples

Directions

• To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans in the workbowl of the food precessor and process until fine. Set aside. Peel, core and quarter the apples and place them in the workbowl of the processor and precess until they are in medium-coarse shards, about the size of almonds. Set aside.
• Place the butter in a large mixer bowl, add the sugar and beat until blended. Add the soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix quickly. Add the flour and just blend, then the apples and nuts.
• Pour the mixture into a greased 9-inch round cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the top springs back when touched with a finger. Cool slightly. Center may sink somewhat.
• For the caramel sauce, melt the butter, brown sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and milk. Stir again with the whisk.
• To serve the sauce with the apple cake, cut the cake into eight wedges. Ladle a large spoonful of the hot sauce onto each of eight dessert plates. Place a wedge of cake on top of the sauce. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and two apple slices.

Notes

• The sauce can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave.
• A refrigerated cake will keep for a week.
• If you wish to cut some of the butter, substitute 1/4 cup of butter for applesauce.

Up Next: Technical Difficulties

Fall has always been my favorite season. As a child, I loved the beginning of school, with new supplies, new subjects to learn, The Scarlet Letter and all that jazz. As an adult, I look forward to cooler weather, football season and tail gaiting at UM games, decorating for Halloween and celebrating my favorite Holiday, Thanksgiving. A holiday built around Gratitude with mounds of fabulous food and a parade thrown in for good measure- how can you go wrong with that? This year Thanksgiving falls on my Birthday, an event that happens once every seven years.

In the Fall, even in Miami, our thoughts turn to cozy, comfort food. What could be more comforting than Chicken Noodle Soup? It even makes your house smell delicious while you’re cooking it! I gave this recipe, from Square Meals by Jane and Michael Stern, to my sister Kelley years ago and it’s her favorite Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. She used it as the base of her Matzo Ball Soup at her Rosh Hashanah dinner. As everyone knows, Chicken Noodle Soup is Jewish Penicillin. Take two cups and call me in the morning.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe by Jane and Michael SternCourse: SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

4

hours 

Calories

229

kcal

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken parts (breasts, back, legs, wings)

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2″ segments, then halved

• 3 stalks celery, without leaves, cut into 2″ segments

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 3 chicken bouillion cubes

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• Salt to taste

• 2 cups egg noodles (fine or medium)

Directions

• Rinse chicken parts; quarter breasts. Place in large, uncovered stockpot with 12 cups cold water.
• Bring to rolling boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, skimming off scum that rises to the surface.
• Add all other ingredients except noodles. Place lid on pot and cook over low heat 3 to 4 hours.
• Remove from heat and, when cool enough to handle, remove chicken parts. Pick all meat from bones, discard skin and return meat to pot.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Next day, carefully skim off all fat that has congealed on surface of soup. Bring to a boil and add noodles.
• Boil 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve at once.

Notes

• Note, this is a 2-day process and cooking time is 3 to 4 hours. It takes time, but it’s worth it.

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