one, two, three bakes

How stressful was last week?

I baked 3 things this Friday night.

First is what has become one of our favorite breakfast breads. Easy Apple Fritter Bread. The recipe is from the site Food Talk Daily.

The first time I made this, I baked 1/2 of the recipe. It was gone before the weekend was over, so this time, I made the whole recipe. I did not put the icing on this time. Chris agreed that it was not needed.

Next was a recipe from the King Arthur Flour newsletter: a giant Hostess Cupcake Cake. For those who do not know, the Hostess Cupcake is my favorite store-bought treat. There were some years when I did not get a birthday cake; I would pick up the two-pack of Hostess Cupcakes, and I was a happy camper.

I baked the cake last night and did the filling and ganache this morning.

Baking, since Milo's arrival, has changed what can and can not be done.

Lastly, we needed cookies. I opted for a quick bake. Mom's Anginettes fit the bill. It took longer to do the math to cut the recipe down to a size for just 2 of us than it did to make the cookies. Again, I had to decorate the cookies this morning.

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Apple Fritter Cake-

INGREDIENTS

CINNAMON CENTER

2/3 cup light brown sugar

12 teaspoon cinnamon

APPLES

2 med. apple, peeled and diced or sliced)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

FRITTER BREAD

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, 8 tablespoons, room temperature)

2 egg (room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk room temperature

METHOD-

Begin preheating the oven to 350° F and lightly grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with baking spray or lightly grease and lightly flour or use lightly greased parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, breaking up any clumps. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, combine the cut apple with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, add the 1/3 cup of sugar with the butter, and with the mixer on about medium speed, cream them together for about 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and mix well, then add the vanilla. Make sure to scrape the bowl well several times.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, baking powder, and salt and combine until barely mixed together.

Pour in the milk and stir until just blended enough.

Turn off the mixer and scrape the bowl well with a spatula, stirring to mix by hand a couple of times.

Do not over-mix.

Stir in the apple mixture.

Scoop half of the batter into the greased baking pan and spread it evenly.

Add the cinnamon/brown sugar mix.

Pour the remaining batter into the pan.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 - 60 minutes, until nicely browned and a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean, with a few moist crumbs.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a rack for about 10-15 minutes.

Run a knife or spatula around the edges if necessary, flip the loaf out and onto the cooling rack to cool thoroughly.

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Hostess Cupcake Cake-

Click here for the recipe.

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Mom's Anginette Cookies-

7 to 9 dozen cookies, depending on size

Ingredients-

5 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

9 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1 cup All-Vegetable Shortening

6 eggs

rind from 1 orange

1/3 cup orange juice

Method-

Preheat oven to 350˚.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.

Cut in the shorting (mix like pie crust)

In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Mix this with the flour mixture, rind, and juice.

Roll into small balls, and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on cookie trays for 5 minutes.

For Icing -

1 cup confectionery sugar

4 1/2 tsp orange juice.

Mix sugar and juice until smooth.

You may have to add a little more juice.