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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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October 29, 2012

Apple Picking Recipes…from Tree to Table

Today we’re going apple picking and sharing some great apple picking recipes…as we go from….

From Tree to Table

From tree to table...apple picking recipes and party ideas

I have a thing for apple trees! Even the tables at our New England fall wedding were each named after apple trees. I’ve been known to tear up when reading The Giving Tree to our kids and our favorite family photos were taken among trees at a local orchard.  When we bought our house we discovered that the previous owners had planted their own giving trees in our yard, within picking distance of our back deck.

Each fall we’ve marveled at and celebrated our backyard bounty and have accumulated recipes that highlight each fruit.  This year we sadly say goodbye to our beloved apple, who lost a valiant fight during a heavy windstorm.  To commemorate our final harvest, I documented our little trees’ offerings & the recipes that highlight them best.  All of these recipes are incredibly easy and work beautifully with store bought fruit.

This recipe comes from Carolyne Roehm and is one of our fall favorites. (recipe below)

The moist cake is studded with apples & drizzled with a cider glaze.

You won’t even have to get your mixer out for this recipe and I guarantee you’ll be fighting over the last piece.

From tree to table...apple picking recipes and party ideas

Apple Cake Doris
Makes one large bundt cake or 2 small loaves

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk
2 cups (about 2 large) tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½ inch dice

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Using 1 tablespoon oil, grease a tube pan or two mini loaf pans measuring 5 ¾ x 3 x 2 ½ inches.  In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and set aside.  In a large bowl, blend sugar and remaining 1 cup of oil. Add eggs and milk and beat until well combined.  Add reserved dry ingredients to sugar mixture and stir until just blended.  Fold in apples.  Makes a very thick batter.  Press batter evenly into prepared pan(s) and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert pan, place serving plate on top and turn out cake.

Apple Cider Glaze
1 cup apple cider
¼ cup butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, simmer apple cider over medium heat until reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes.
Add powdered sugar to cider and stir.  Remove pan from heat and whisk in melted butter. Cool slightly then pour over cake.

Ina Garten’s French apple tart can be assembled in minutes using frozen puff pastry (I’ve also used frozen pie crust) and the results are so rewarding.  So little effort for so much taste.  The steps are easy enough that my 5 year old mastered it.

From tree to table...apple picking recipes and party ideas

We are treating our plum tree as a greengage plum, though we are not entirely sure that this is correct.

 

From tree to table...apple picking recipes and party ideas

Regardless, this stovetop plum jam was delicious and requires no pectin as plums have it naturally. It pairs nicely with a slice of aged cheddar.

From tree to table...apple picking recipes and party ideas

The perfect accompaniment to a homemade spread is some crusty artisan bread.  The hardest part of this no-knead recipe is remembering to mix the 4 ingredients the night before. Your house will smell divine and you can fool everyone with your baking skills. Don’t tell my family how easy this is…they pretty much think I’m a baking superstar whenever I make it!

From tree to table...apple picking recipes and party ideas

Our pear tree has taught us a lesson in delayed gratification.  Apparently our pear variety needs to be in cold storage for about a month after harvesting.  After the month’s wait, they rest on our counter for up to a week to reach optimal ripeness.  Last year’s crop was delicious so we patiently await these babies to emerge from their month’s hibernation.  Once they are ready, a few will enjoy a starring role in Ina Garten’s Apple & Pear Crisp. Ina hasn’t failed me yet so I know the results will be worth the wait!

From tree to table...apple picking recipes and party ideas

Thanks for meeting me at the fence today & have fun savoring the season of Fall!

 
APPLE CAKE DORIS~Carolyne Roehm
Makes one large bundt cake or 2 small loaves1 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk
2 cups (about 2 large) tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½ inch dicePreheat oven to 350° F. Using 1 tablespoon oil, grease a tube pan or two mini loaf pans measuring 5 ¾ x 3 x 2 ½ inches.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and set aside.
In a large bowl, blend sugar and remaining 1 cup of oil. Add eggs and milk and beat until well combined.
Add reserved dry ingredients to sugar mixture and stir until just blended. Fold in apples. Makes a very thick batter.
Press batter evenly into prepared pan(s) and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert pan, place serving plate on top and turn out cake.

APPLE CIDER GLAZE

1 cup apple cider
¼ cup butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, simmer apple cider over medium heat until reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes.
Add powdered sugar to cider and stir. Remove pan from heat and whisk in melted butter. Cool slightly then pour over cake.

Be sure to visit more of Julie’s amazing parties like her:

Nancy Drew Detective Party
Super Science Party
Pioneer Birthday Party

 

19 Comments Filed Under: Autumn, Desserts, Good Ideas, Holiday Parties, Parties Tagged With: Autumn, fall, fall recipes, recipe

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Comments

  1. Judy says

    October 29, 2012 at 6:08 AM

    That looks great. I love your new look. I can’t wait to talk to you about how you like WP. We are stuck in the house for the next few days riding out the storm. BTW you still showed up on my sidebar. I have to make sure you stay there, but I didn’t re-add you and it was still there this morning.

    Reply
  2. Sharon says

    October 29, 2012 at 7:05 AM

    Hi Julie. My goodness this is a delicious post…everything from the photography, to the food and recipes is so appealing. I can’t wait to try to the no knead bread. Thank you for sharing.

    Sharon

    Reply
  3. sherry says

    October 29, 2012 at 8:11 AM

    These apple and pear photos are stunning! I can’t wait to try the apple cake recipe from Carolyne Roehme!
    Heather and Vanessa, your new WordPress home looks beautiful! So happy for you and glad to hear the “move went so well! Yeah!!!
    Sherry

    Reply
  4. Gypsea says

    October 29, 2012 at 9:22 AM

    Everything looks so yummy that my mouth is watering! Thanks for the recipes.

    Reply
  5. Claire says

    October 29, 2012 at 9:58 AM

    Wow that is a beautiful and yummy post! I love Ina Garten’s recipes – will have to try that apple tart. I am in a baking mood!! Happy Monday! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Nana Diana says

    October 29, 2012 at 12:10 PM

    My mouth is watering just looking at these pictures. I love even just the smell of freshly picked apples! xo Diana

    Reply
  7. Valerie Hibler says

    October 29, 2012 at 12:40 PM

    Julie, I want to come over right now!! Love this post and the recipes…and now wishing I had some fruit trees in my yard 🙂 You are amazing!

    Reply
  8. Betty Davies says

    October 29, 2012 at 6:40 PM

    Would love to have the link to the recipe for the apple loaf with cider glaze. I went onto Carolyne Roehm’s website but could not find it. Thanks

    Reply
    • Heather & Vanessa says

      October 30, 2012 at 11:17 PM

      Hi Betty, I’ve added the recipe to the post! Thank you for stopping by! Heather

      Reply
  9. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    October 29, 2012 at 11:00 PM

    What a beautiful post…such wonderful recipes to make … I am definitely going to try the French Apple Tart recipe…looks great and sounds easy to make…I love easy!!….Gorgeous photography!!!….and congrats on the smooth transition to WordPress!!….

    Reply
  10. Kathy says

    October 30, 2012 at 12:25 AM

    Lovely post … beautiful photos. I too would like to have the link to the apple loaf recipe please. I did go into Carolyn’s site but was unable to find it.

    Thanks,
    Kathy

    Reply
    • Heather & Vanessa says

      October 30, 2012 at 11:16 PM

      Hi Kathy, I’ve added this recipe to the post. Thank you for stopping by! Heather

      Reply
  11. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    October 30, 2012 at 9:19 PM

    Simply delicious post! What gorgeous yummy pics!

    Reply
  12. Ann : ) says

    October 30, 2012 at 9:44 PM

    Have been unsuccessful in viewing and printing the recipe for the apple cake – looks delicious.

    Reply
    • Heather & Vanessa says

      October 30, 2012 at 11:15 PM

      Hi Ann, I’ve added the recipe to this post! Thank you for stopping by! Heather

      Reply
      • Ann : ) says

        October 31, 2012 at 8:01 AM

        Thank you.
        Have a day filled with blessings

        Reply

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  1. It’s Inspiration Friday No. 88! Welcome! says:
    November 1, 2012 at 4:00 PM

    […] week our Regular Contributor Julie shared with you some incredible recipes in her post From Tree to Table. We just love having Julie as apart of our Picket Fence team and we so appreciate you welcoming […]

    Reply
  2. Heart’felt’ Valentine’s Day Crafts says:
    January 14, 2013 at 7:37 AM

    […] From Tree to Table […]

    Reply
  3. Super Science Party says:
    May 1, 2013 at 5:57 AM

    […] Paint Themed Party Pioneer Party Harvest Party […]

    Reply

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The month of June is coming to a close and it has The month of June is coming to a close and it has been JAM packed! The highlight by far though was my son's graduation from high school. When I started blogging, he was only 6 years old and some of you have been apart of my community here for that entire time. Now, he's 19 and there is a reason parents are told not to blink because the years truly do go faster than I ever could have imagined. He has become such an incredible young man we are so excited to see how God is going to unfold the next chapter of his life. We celebrated with parties galore (SO many open houses to attend!) and made memories we'll forever cherish. My mama heart was filled to bursting with the joy of it all! Now we're taking some time to just enjoy these warm, summer days making even more memories because, when you’re at this stage of parenting, you know all too well how much you need to grasp every opportunity to spend time together.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
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I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

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What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
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Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

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We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
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What’s the weather like where you are?
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