Apple Ginger Cake

This is a feel good cake, perfect for tea time or sharing with friends. I love the warm ginger and how well it goes with all of the apple!

You will need:

• 2 c currants
• 1 c (~ 6 oz) dried apples, chopped
• Scant 1/4 c (~2 oz) crystallized ginger, chopped
• 1/2 c brandy or bourbon
• 2/3 c whole milk
• 1 c molasses
• 2 t baking soda
• 4 c flour
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 8 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 c toasted nuts, chopped (I used pecans)

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the currants, dried apple and crystallized ginger.
3. Warm the brandy or bourbon for 20 seconds in the microwave.
4. Stir the brandy into the dried fruits and set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the milk with the molasses and baking soda.
6. In another medium bowl, combine the flour with the cloves, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt.
7. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
8. Mix in the eggs.
9. Mix the milk mixture and the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating between the two.
10. Gently mix in the fruit and nuts.
11. Pour into the prepared pan.
12. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil, tightly crimped around the edges of the pan.
13. Set the pan in a deep roasting pan.
14. Add boiling water to the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the bundt pan.
15. Bake for approximately 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
16. Remove the Bundt pan from the water and allow to cool for 20 minutes before inverting onto a plate
17. Serve warm in slices with some whipped cream.

PB&J Bars

I adapted this recipe from a September 2013 Real Simple. I also recommend trying it various combinations of fruit and jam until you find your favorite. I happened to have blueberries and some yummy blueberry jam at home, so that it was I used. You could also swap out 1/2 of a cup of the flour for a 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats if you wanted!

You will need:

• 1/2 c blueberry jam
• 3/4 c fresh blueberries, roughly mashed (I just used a fork)
• 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 t pure vanilla extra
• 1 3/4 c whole wheat flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 1 c peanut butter
• 3/4 c chopped nuts (I used an unsalted combination of peanuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts)

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the edges.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the mashed blueberries with the jam.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together (recommend via electric mixer) until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
6. Beat in the peanut butter until thoroughly combined.
7. Gradually stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
8. Press half of the down into the baking dish. Spread with fingers and try to keep an even thickness.
9. Spread the fruit mixture on top of the dough.
10. Stir the chopped nuts into the remaining dough.
11. Crumble the dough on top of the fruit mixture, lightly pressing to ensure top is covered.
12. Bake until golden brown, about 40-45 minutes.
13. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for a half hour before moving to a wire rack to complete cooling.