Little Green Apples in My Cake - Apple Cake with Bourbon Sauce

This delicious apple cake is courtesy of Linda Monforte, one of the ladies from the church we attended when I was a child.  It is my favorite apple cake.  Granted, she did not pour bourbon sauce over it when bringing it to church potlucks, but I think it is a welcome addition to this delectable apple cake.

I find my favorite apples for this cake, even though they are not necessarily green, are Braeburns or Winesaps, as they seem to hold their shape a little better when cooking in the batter.  This is one of my strange quirks.  I like my Pie apples tart and cooked completely and my Cake apples a little sweeter and to have some tooth to them, so I know they are there.  I think it has to do with the nature of the two desserts.

With Cake, the cake itself is soft and spongy, so the apples cannot be cooked to mush or the whole thing would just be a soggy mess.  A little tooth to the apples lends interesting texture that helps to bridge from the spongy cake to the crunchy nuts. 

In Pie, the flaky pastry crust lends the contrast to the softer, completely cooked apple filling.  If the apples are toothy, or worse, still crunchy, then you end up with a big slice of "ewww!" on your plate that NO amount of cheddar cheese, caramel sauce or ice cream can fix.

Not that I am opinionated or anything.  ;-)

Linda Monforte's Apple Cake

2 large Eggs
1/2 cup (118ml) Light Oil (such as Safflower)
2 cups (400g) granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 cups (250g) AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
1 cup (110g) Pecans, chopped
4 cups (500g) Braeburn Apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 4 apples)
Bourbon Sauce (see below)
Whipped Cream

Butter and Flour a 13x9 inch baking dish. (it's vintage Corningware P-21 for me, but a Pyrex dish will work too)

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees
In a small bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, Cinnamon and Salt; whisking to combine.

In a medium bowl, combing Eggs, Oil, Sugar and Vanilla, whisking well until homogeneous.

Toast the Pecans for 8 minutes in the oven, then give them a nice rough chop.

Peel, core and chop the apples, then place them in a large bowl.

Pour both the Flour mixture and the Egg/Oil mixture over the Apples.

Fold them all together until there are no dry spots, then add Pecans and fold until well dispersed.

Pour the batter into your prepared Baking Dish.

Smooth the batter out a little, so it's level.

Bake for 45 minutes to 55 minutes.

Until all nicely browned and delicious looking, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs.

Place on a rack and allow it  cool while you make Bourbon sauce.....  OK, it's really more of a Bourbon Caramel Sauce, but, well...  It's a saucy caramel. (in more ways than one)

Bourbon Sauce

1 cup (200g) Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup (100g) Brown Sugar
2/3 cup (156ml) Water
4 oz (113g) Unsalted Butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup (59ml) Bourbon (I like Maker's Mark)
1/3 cup (78ml) Heavy Cream

Combine both Sugars and Water in a medium saucepan set over medium flame.

Stir until the Sugars dissolve and the syrup comes to a boil.

Place a thermometer in the syrup and bring to 300 F Degrees.

When the caramel hits 300, remove from the heat and stir in the butter with a whisk (

Once the butter has melted into the caramel and there is no further risk of crystallization,

remove the sauce from the heat and add the Bourbon and Heavy Cream. (careful, it will bubble and steam again

Pour into a heat proof pitcher and allow the caramel to cool.

Serving.....

Once the Apple Cake has finished baking, and has cooled to room temperature, cut 3-inch square pieces and place on a plate,

drizzling liberally with warm Bourbon Sauce...

and top with whipped cream... Oh yeah, baby!
 

Mangia!!
~~

Wynken, Blynken and Nog - Cooked Honey Eggnog

I absolutely LOVE eggnog.  If there is anything at all that screams Christmas Cheer to me, it's Eggnog.  This was not always the case, but that was because I no idea that it was a spirit laced beverage until I was about 30.  (no laughing, please) ;)

When I was growing up, we always mixed the eggnog half and half with milk.  Granted, my parents were not exactly in the habit of slipping their children a short snort of bourbon, but that was the way they drank it as well.  My grandfather use to work for the Mayflower dairy, and that was the way my mom was raised as well.  So I never questioned this virgin version of the drink.

Well, lemme tell ya.  I much prefer the "Christmas Cheer" version these days.

One thing that has always bothered me about Eggnog is that the mega mart versions are full of all sorts of weird ingredients.  When I was a kid, there was a drive-thru local dairy called "Senn's".  Now being on a goat dairy you may be wondering WHY we would go to a cow dairy to purchase milk.  Well, back then (I was in 4th grade) we use to "dry up" the goats during the winter.  So we had to purchase cow milk during the winter months until the next kidding in the spring.  Once the kids were born, it was a mere 2 weeks before the milk was consumable again and we drank goat milk from March to November, at which point we would begin purchasing 3.8% or 4.6% milk from the dairy (Whole goat milk is higher in cream, so 2% cow milk tasted like water after drinking such rich milk all spring, summer and fall).  We were always excited to go through the drive-thru to get our Milk, Eggnog (in glass jars) and Ice Milk (I miss Ice Milk).  By the time I was an adult, the Senn's dairy drive-thru had closed... I think that it is a Goodyear Tire center now.  Thus, I was regulated to purchasing Eggnog in the store, and it was so weird tasting, I simply quit buying it.

Then I moved to San Diego where Alta Dena Dairy products fill the shelves.  One year, I noticed that they had an Eggnog made with Honey instead of High Fructose Corn Syrup or Sugar.  I tried it, I LOVED it, and I started purchasing my Eggnog again... This was still before I knew about the Bourbon.  Sadly, after about 2005, I was no longer able to find the Honey sweetened version in the store... By this time, I had discovered the "bourbon fortified" version of Eggnog.  I was totally hooked on it, so I had to start making it myself.

So what exactly IS Eggnog, when it doesn't come out of a store carton?  Personally, I believe that it started with the Dutch.  Call it a hunch, for I have no proof to back this up, but one of the more popular Dutch liqueurs is called Advocaat.  A delightful custard-like concoction of egg, cream, sugar and brandy, which is used to make Snowballs (Advocaat and lemonade).  That is all Eggnog is, though I usually make my Nog with Bourbon instead of Brandy.   It's nothing more than a thin custard that has been liberally laced with spices of Cinnamon and Clove, but mostly Nutmeg.  Unlike a custard though, the egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks and then folded into the mixture or used to decorate the top of the glass. 

Most Eggnog recipes are raw.  While *I* personally have no fear of egg born salmonella, since I know that the eggs that I buy come from the west coast (in fact they come from about 20 miles from here), I do not feel that have the right to foist my "devil may care" attitude upon any of my guests that may be partaking of said Holiday Cheer.  Thus, I cook my eggnog, or rather, I cook the custard part.  The only problem with this, is that the whites are still raw.  Since the meringue-ish topping is one of the best parts of a glass of Nog I save the raw egg whites for making divinity and opt for Pasteurized Egg Whites in the carton when I go to mix a drinks. (though I forgo this part when serving the virgin version to kids)

So there you have it, a honey based Eggnog that is safe for children and the elderly to drink.

Let's make some Cheer! 

Cooked Honey Eggnog

6 large Egg Yolk, save the egg whites for Angel Food Cake or Divinity
1/2 cup light Honey, such as Orange Blossom or Clover
1 TB Vanilla extract
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1/2 a Nutmeg, broken (plus more as a garnish)
1 Cinnamon Stick, broken
4 Clove buds
2 cups Whole Milk
a tiny pinch of Baking Soda
1 cup Heavy Cream

For serving "Virgin":
Eggnog base
Milk
Freshly grated Nutmeg

Or not:
4 oz Eggnog base
1 oz Bourbon per person when serving (I like mine a little stronger, so I use 1 1/2 oz per person)
Freshly grated Nutmeg
2 TB Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites (or other Pasteurized egg whites in a carton) per serving
1 tsp Honey
More Nutmeg  :)

OK, Ready, Set.... Go!

The Egg Yolks, Honey, Vanilla and Salt need to be whisked very well in a stainless steel or glass bowl until they are thick, pale and slightly fluffy looking.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, bring Milk, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Clove to a simmer.

Add just a pinch of Baking Soda to the Milk...   (Honey is slightly acidic, when compared to sugar, so you need just a pinch to take the edge off the honey)

When the Yolks are super pale and fluffy, slowly add the simmering milk, 1/4 cup at a time, to the yolks, whisking constantly to temper them.

Once you have added about 1 cup of the Milk, you can add the tempered yolks to the remaining Milk in the sauce pan.

Continue cooking this custard mixture until it reaches 180F (82C) degrees.

Remove from the heat and strain (to remove the cinnamon stick, cloves and any errant egg yolk bits) through a fine mesh strainer.

Slowly stir in the heavy cream to help cool it down.

Pour into a glass container or two, depending on your bottle sizes.

Refrigerate until cold. Eggnog is suppose to be a cold drink.... Unlike a Tom and Jerry (But that is a post for around New Year)

Now, you have 2 options.  The virgin version, or the less than virgin version.  ;)
I really don't think I need to give directions for a virgin Eggnog, so let's move on to the version filled with Christmas Cheer.

This is by the glass.  If you decide to make a punch bowlful of Eggnog, simply calculate that your starting batter will make about 9 servings in total (depending the size of your punch cups).  So pour the cooked base from above, into a punch bowl, add 9-12 oz of Bourbon and stir... Add fresh grated Nutmeg and stir again.  Whip 18 TB of Pasteruized Egg Whites with 9 tsp of Honey until they form stiff peaks.  Fold the beaten egg whites and Eggnog together in a punch bowl.  Cover and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

OK, moving on to Holiday Cheer for 1.  :)

Place 1 oz of good Bourbon in a glass.

Add the Eggnog base and stir quickly with a fork.

Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg and stir again.

In a small bowl, combine pasteurized Egg White and Honey.

Whisk briskly until stiff peaks form. (since the honey is slightly acidic, it will stabilize your egg whites and form a nice fluffy Meringue)

Spoon the Honeyed Meringue into the glass.

You may stir again at this point, or not (it depends on how "airy" you want your drink)
Sprinkle with more freshly grated Nutmeg.

Now consume the Cheer.

Now if your eyes start a Wynken and a Blynken, and your head begins to Nod, then you may have had a little too much cheer.

Cin Cin!!
~~

Butter & Bourbon Bathed Boar - Bourbon Cream Pork Loins

There are just some things, no matter HOW terribly bad for you they are, that you just cannot resist indulging in on occasion. When I was young, my aunt came for a visit. While she was here, she decided that she wanted to cook dinner for everyone. Well this recipe of her's was da bomb. Loaded with butter, laced with bourbon and overflowing with mushroomy goodness. This is some serious plate lickin' sauce, lemme tell ya.

Since the key ingredient is the bourbon, let's talk about bourbon for a moment. Bourbon is part of the whiskey family, just like Scotch, Irish, Canadian and Tennessee whiskeys. The difference between Bourbon and all the other whiskeys is location, location, location. Bourbon comes from the area of Kentucky that was once Bourbon County. (Though the county was divided up a long time ago). The mash content is at least 51% corn, though more often it's as high as 70%, and aged in new charred oak barrels for at least 2 years. While Tennessee whiskey may be made of the same ingredients, it is filtered through maple charcoal, lending it's particular flavor. Canadian Whiskey is usually higher in Rye and of course Scotch and Irish are primarily malted barley, though Scotch uses peat in their process to give those "smoked earth" notes that are absent from the Irish.

blah blah blah blah blah......

Suffice it to say that this recipe is best with Bourbon. Though my dad also makes it with Pendleton which is a Canadian "style" whiskey, and it is nice as well, I personally prefer Maker's Mark Bourbon.

And while Maker's isn't the oldest Bourbon distillery (Jim Beam) nor the most expensive on the market (Woodford Reserve - save that for your $1000 Kentucky Derby Mint Juleps), it is a small batch distillery that values Quality over Quantity. And I must say that, for the price, the quality and consistency of Maker's Mark is perfect for this recipe.

Originally, this wass a recipe for 6 pork loins, however, I enjoy the sauce so much that I usually cook only 4 pork loins in the same amount of sauce. Tonight however, I have but 3 pork loins, and, well.... I am making the same amount of sauce as I would for 6. Trust me, it really IS that good... And awesome over rice too...

Bourbon Pork Loins

4 Pork loins (technically it's 6)
Kosher salt
Cracked Black Pepper
8 TB Unsalted Butter, divided (6TB for searing & 2 TB to finish the sauce)
3 TB Olive Oil
3/4 cup (177 ml) Heavy Cream
3 TB Dijon Mustard (Though I usually use Gulden's Brown)
1/2 cup (118 ml) Maker's Mark Bourbon
1 Shallot, minced fine
8 oz (227 g) Button Mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp Thyme

Season the pork loins with Salt and pepper on both sides.

Place 6 TB of the Butter and the 3 TB Olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

In a small pitcher, measure out the Heavy Cream and add the Mustard.

Stir until combined, then set aside.

Now that the butter and oil are heated, add the pork loins...

Sear for 3 minutes on each side, you don't want to cook them all the way through (this will depend on how thick your loins are, mine were about 1 inch)

When seared, move the pork loins to a clean plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add the bourbon to deglaze the pan. (you really wanna get that fond scraped up and incorporated into the sauce)

Continue stirring the mixture until it reduces to a thick sauce.

Add the shallots...

Then the mushrooms.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the cover, sprinkle with thyme.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the Heavy Cream/Mustard mixture and stir to combine.

Move the pork loins back to the pan, nestling them down into the sauce.

Cover and cook 3 minutes...

Turn the pork loins and cook an additional 3 minutes.

Move the loins from the sauce, and onto warmed plates.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 TB of butter. (Yep, it's time to release your inner Paula Dean)

Season with Salt and Pepper, then spoon the mushroom sauce over each pork loin and add a sprig of thyme for a simple garnish and dig in.

If your not serving this with rice, I would suggest some sourdough rolls, cause you gonna wanna sop up the sauce, otherwise you might be reduced to licking the plate.

BUSTED!!! LOL

Mangia!!
~~