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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 […]

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

    […] From Tree to Table […]

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

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

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We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

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.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

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. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

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.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the pa When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the payoff of your investment in your children, it is truly one of the greatest gifts. We had that experience twice this week with our 18 year old son and were overwhelmed by this opportunity we had to watch as he handled two very different situations (one personal and one professional) with grace, maturity, integrity and courage. Those of you mamas of little ones, don't ever minimize the job you are doing in raising this next generation. 

Every story read at bedtime
Every correction made to strengthen character
Every outdoor exploration
Every nose wiped
Every bandaid applied
Every time you say no when the world says yes
Every night of helping with homework
Every difficult conversation
Every prayer uttered

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Happy Saturday!! I haven’t posted all week (exce Happy Saturday!! I haven’t posted all week (except for in stories) because I was soaking up the sunshine and time with my family in San Antonio for spring break. One of our favorite activities was a bike tour of the missions and I found myself obsessed with all of the beautiful architecture, especially the doors. What is it about doors that is so fascinating? Is it knowing that these were so lovingly hand carved? Is it thinking about how many people have crossed through them? Whatever it is, I couldn’t get enough of them and had to stop and admire each one. 

I hope you are having a wonderful kickoff to spring too dear friends! 🌸
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