APPLES, POUND CAKE & CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Orange-Cranberry Pound Cake

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks of butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of one medium orange
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried cranberries
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the milk and the vanilla and orange zest. Sift together the spices, flour, salt; add them to the wet ingredients, stirring gently just until well combined. Fold in the dried cranberries. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick unserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan then turn out onto plate.


Chocolate Extra Rocky Road Frozen Treat

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped finely
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
1 cup sugar
½ cup whole milk
1 cup half and half
½ heavy or whipping cream
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts
¼ bag of milk chocolate chips
½ cup crushed chocolate cookies
Place the milk, half and half, cream and vanilla extract in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a bowl. Pour milk mixture over chopped chocolate pieces. Slowly whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper it. Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan and again cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened slightly and just barely coats the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Place the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the directions for your machine. When the frozen treat is very thick(about after 20 minutes) add your “extras” and continue freezing to a soft consistency. Transfer the treat to a covered container and place in freezer to freeze.

Sour Cream-Apple Tart

Crust:
1 cup sll-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, well chilled
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup apricot jam, heated and strained
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375F. Place flour and sugar in a processor bowl. Add butter, in small chunks and blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and walnuts. Pat dough into bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool, then spread with warm jam.
Filling:
2 1/2lbs tart apples, peedled, cored and thinly sliced
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins(optional)
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
3 TBSP unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
Toss apples with lemon juice. Melt butter in large, heavy skillet over low heat. Add apples and both sugars, stir to mix. Cover and cook until apples are just tender, 10-12 minutes.
Uncover, icrease heat to medium-high and cook until liquid has evaporated, 7-8 minutes. Stir in raisins, cinnamon and zest. Cool mixture.
Topping:
2 cups sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F.
Beat sour cream, whipping cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl.
Spoon chilled filling into crust. Very slowly pour topping over, lifting apples so topping seeps through. Bake until topping is consistancy of cooked custard, about 35-40 minutes.
Cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Serve Chilled.


Dried Cherry-Apple Clafouti

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup flour
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cup milk(I used whole)
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried cherries
1 green apple, peeled, cored, diced
DIRECTIONS:
1.Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.
2.Combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Gradually stir the liquid into the flour mixture to make a smooth batter.
3.Grease a pie pan or 9 inch cake pan.
4.Pour the batter into the pan. Distribute the cherries and apples over the batter.
5.Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes or until set and browned.
6.Serve warm and cut. Dust with powdered sugar.
Serves 12.
This was a little cakey for me. Next time I would use less flour with this recipe.