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Posts tagged ‘apples’

Dec 29

20 Comments

German apple pancake

No food tradition in our family is longer-lived than the German apple pancake. So central a family holiday tradition, so beloved, for years it even served as the “secret password” between my daughters and me. We never needed to use it, but it was comforting knowing it was there. ; )

Every Christmas morning for our children’s lives our house would fill with the sweet perfume of cinnamon and nutmeg and caramelizing apples. Every Christmas morning, the girls’ eyes, and later on, the boy’s, would pop at the big puff of a pancake as it came from the oven. (It’s a bit of a wonderment really.) From the oven, I’d slip it onto a warm platter and then –  into the golden heart of it a steaming skillet-ful of glistening caramelized apples would tumble. I think it’s become impossible for any of us now to separate Christmas morning from the pancake.

As true as that is, we enjoy this special breakfast too much to relegate it to one morning a year. It manages to show up at birthday breakfast tables by request, and occasionally it appears just because  someone’s in need of a little extra lovin’ or an atta-boy or -girl! This year we’ll bring it the New Year’s table too. It’s how our family celebrates with breakfast.

So disappointed I forgot to include the cranberries for this one – it’s positively beautiful with them.

German Apple Pancake

serves 6 to 8 

the pancake:

  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour (3¾ oz. – 105 g.)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1½ Tablespoons butter

the apples:

  • 1½ pounds apples (up to 2 pounds will work) – Granny Smith are a good choice
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (either new or freshly grated is best)
  • ½ cranberries (optional)

the sprinkling of snow:

  • powdered sugar

Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Into a blender (or food processor) break 3 eggs. Add milk and vanilla, and process for about 30 seconds. Add the flour, salt and sugar and process until lumps are gone, about 15 seconds. (Don’t overmix.) Allow to “bloom” – for flour to absorb the liquids completely – at least 15 minutes, and as long as overnight. Briefly mix again before pouring in the pan.

With oven at 500°F, melt 1½ Tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat- cast iron works very well for this. When the butter has turned to foam, swirl it around the bottom of the pan, and slightly up the sides. Pour in the pancake batter and place the pan in the oven. Promptly lower the heat to 425°F. Cook for 10 minutes at this setting, and then lower the heat to 350°F and cook for about 15 minutes longer. (If during the initial stages of the baking, the center of the pancakes bubbles up and forms a little mountain, pierce it with a long handled fork. No worries if it doesn’t completely flatten though because the apples will take care of most of that.) Like magic, the sides of the pancake will rise up and form a bowl.  Read more

Nov 21

14 Comments

Turkey Stuffing with Grand Marnier & dried apricots

‘Tis the season when time speeds up. Some of our best intentions, left behind in a rush of wind. I’d planned on preparing this turkey stuffing for you to view before Thanksgiving was upon us and everyone was already noisily gathered around the table. It didn’t happen. It’s still possible that I’ll get that done, but it’s looking less likely with every falling leaf.

And yet, even though there’s no accompanying photo, that didn’t seem reason enough not to share the recipe. So I’ll post it today, and after Thanksgiving I’ll attach photos so that next year you’ll have them. In the meantime, just a few photos from my walk the other day.

If you look at the list of ingredients you may have a feel for what this stuffing is like. I hope so. I can tell you this: Just about everyone who’s tried it has asked for the recipe. People who don’t like stuffing love this stuffing. And that’s all I’ll say.

Turkey Stuffing with Grand Marnier & Apricots

  • 12 cups cubed sturdy bread – cubed in approximately ½- to ¾-inch pieces
  • 2 Tablespoons dried thyme
  • 4 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1½ cups dried apricots, cut into quarters
  • 1½ cups Grand Marnier (Orange Liqueur) (see NOTE)
  • 2 pounds Turkey Sausage (I like to use a combination – a milder one with apple and sage, and a spicier Italian turkey sausage)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups celery, diced (with some leaves)
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon dried sage, crushed between your hands
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, medium diced
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup chopped Italian parsley
  • Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or filberts or pecans (optional)
  • 2 cups chicken broth (you may not use all this)

NOTE: on the Grand Marnier – To cut down on the expense, you might mix one part Triple Sec with two parts Grand Marnier. I don’t think I’d mess with the proportions further than that though. Grand Marnier is just so incomparably good.  (I should be clear here on this point though, I use all Grand Marnier in ours.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the bread, thyme, some salt and pepper and one-half of the oil, and toss together. Place on a baking sheet for 15 minutes in the oven. Transfer to a large bowl or other container large enough to accommodate it.

In a small sauce pan, add the apricots to the Grand Marnier and bring to a boil. Gentle simmer for a couple minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. (As they sit and bathe in the Grand Marnier, the flavor intensifies and they become indescribably delicious.)

In a large skillet, brown the sausage. Add it to the bread bowl with a slotted spoon.

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