Joan's Apple Cake

Saturday was a special day: Taylor's parents' pre-30th anniversary celebration AND Johnny Appleseed's birthday in the same day! To mark the occasion, I thought I'd make an apple cake using a recipe from the Ohio Apple Marketing Program.

When I texted my mother-in-law Stacy with the idea, she asked me a life-changing question: "Do you have Joan's apple cake recipe?"

Taylor's mamaw Joan lives in Memphis and is one of the kindest, sweetest ladies you'll ever meet. Oh, and her apple cake is legendary. Stacy emailed me the recipe, and I swapped out my generic brochure recipe for a family tradition dating back at least three generations. Lucky for you, nothing about this recipe is secret or proprietary (or so I've been told), so I can share it with you!

Joan's Apple Cake

3 cups diced apples
1 cup Wesson oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4-1/2 cup milk
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1) Pare and dice 3 cups of apples. How many apples are in a cup? I wasn't sure, so I just started peeling. And peeling. And peeling. I peeled about seven apples. Turns out that was the perfect amount.

 

  

Then I recruited my food processor to help speed things up a bit.

2) Mix the oil, sugar, eggs, and milk in a large bowl. 

Did you notice that this recipe specifically calls for Wesson vegetable oil? And that I'm actually using Wesson vegetable oil? I knew it wouldn't really make a difference in taste or quality to use a different brand of vegetable oil, but I didn't want to take any chances with Mamaw's special recipe. I've never made this cake before, and the bar has been set pretty high. So when you have the chance to stack a few cards in your favor, you take it. Thank you, Wesson!

3) Next, sift together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.

4) Combine wet and dry ingredients, then add apples and nuts (optional). Mix well.
Corgi supervision also optional.

While we're stirring, did you notice my apron? It was handmade by my aunt Elaine and given to me at my wedding shower 5.5 years ago. It's a cool design--it's all one piece with no straps, so you put it on by looping the arm holes together, slipping them over your head, and then poking your arms through the sides. Because one can never have enough aprons, my friend Katelyn recently helped me make another apron that's reversible with more of an A-line style. Once I finish the last few (hundred) hand stitches, it will be ready to make its blog debut!

Okay back to the apple cake--almost finished!

5) Bake in a greased pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes to one hour. 

I set the timer for 45 minutes and tested the center with a toothpick. It needed another five minutes or so, but was ready just in time to pack the car and head over to Mitch and Stacy's for dinner. A few hours later, after dinner and conversation and endless Corgi-watching entertainment, it was time for dessert. It was a delicious moment of truth! Even with all of the sugar and oil in this recipe, the cake isn't overly sweet. It's got just the right balance of flavors, and is moist and warm and quite comforting on a cool fall evening. In the Wessels family, the cake is customarily served with a dollop of cool whip, a scoop of vanilla ice cream (that's how we had it), or just plain on its own.

Taylor wanted to try out a cinnamon-sugar frosting on top, so we ventured into new territory with that interpretation, too. The glaze was a nice touch, but the cake is good enough without it! I had it plain for breakfast today.

Joan's apple cake is a timeless classic, made even sweeter by the love and joy with which it is served. Handed down from generation to generation, recipes are symbols of the transcendent power of family. Dishes, aprons, and lessons shared in the kitchen give us a sense of identity and belonging; they help us find our way home, wherever that may be. Cooking traditions keep us together, and I am so honored to be a new keeper of this special recipe.

Apple-Pork Steaks

Let's think of all the things we like to eat with apples. Oatmeal? (Check out my last post!) Sausage and eggs? (You betcha!) Pork steak? (Uhh...maybe?)

With the help of the Homemaker's Meat Recipe Book (1948-49), we can find out! You grab the apples, and I'll get the pork steaks.

Okay, what's a pork steak? I didn't know the difference between a pork steak and a pork chop, so I consulted the leading experts--the National Pork Board's website and Taylor's brain--to learn more. Here's what I learned:

"Blade steaks (also called pork steaks) are cut from the pork shoulder and contain the blade bone. Blade steaks are flavorful like roasts because they are rich in marbling, which keeps them tender during cooking. Blade steak is a popular, quick-cooking cut for grilling.

"Pork chops are the most popular cut from the pork loin, which is the strip of meat that runs from the pig’s hip to shoulder. Depending on where they originate, pork chops can be found under a variety of names, including loin, rib, sirloin, top loin and blade chops."

Taylor corroborated this account. He added that pork arm or blade steaks would have been more commonly available to WWII and post-war consumers, as higher-quality cuts of meat, like pork chops, would have been rationed to the troops.

Got it, let's make some meat!

Apple-Pork Steaks
4 pork arm or blade steaks
2 tablespoons lard or drippings
2 stalks celery
2 tart apples, unpeeled
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons enriched flour
2 tablespoons water

1) Brown pork steaks in lard or drippings.
After all that explanation, I decided to just buy pork chops because they didn't seem all that different and that's what I could quickly find in the meat section of the grocery store in 2015. Maybe next time I'll visit a butcher in 1948.

I also didn't have lard or drippings on hand, so I just used a little olive oil to brown my pork chops over medium-high heat. It worked just fine.

This is a big deal for me--adapting the recipe, making it work. Pre-blog, I would have given up on this recipe after reading the unfamiliar title. And yet, here we are, chipping away at the meat ceiling, one recipe at a time.

2) Cut celery in 2-inch lengths and apples in eighths.
While the pork chops browned in the pan, I cut my celery and granny smith apples. This step is best summarized by the words 'crunchy' and 'green.'

3) Place over pork steaks and add vinegar, sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook slowly for 45 minutes.
This is what it means to braise something--first you lightly fry it, then you let it stew slowly in a closed pan. I learned that! Braise the roof!

4) When done, remove steaks and thicken gravy with flour mixed with 2 tablespoons water. Stir constantly, allowing to boil vigorously for 3 minutes.
About 45 minutes later, the apples and celery had reduced to a chunky applesauce-like mixture. I took out the pork chops and mixed the flour and water into the "gravy."

5) Serve over pork steaks. 4 servings. 
I hesitate to show the finished plate because it looks kind of bland and gross in the picture. Don't let looks deceive you! (Sidenote: I didn't realize in starting this blog I'd need to learn the art of cooking and photography.)

I'm not much of a carnivore, but overall I liked this dish. I made couscous as a side, and the whole thing was ready in under an hour. The pork chops were moist and tender, and the gravy was hot and flavorful, though a tad on the tart side. Next time I'd try it with a slightly sweeter apple, I think. Go easy with the ladle to keep the gravy from overpowering the pork.

And don't forget to add pork steak to your list of apple-friendly foods!

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

With the official start of fall less than a week away, let's continue our homage to the apple with a recipe for Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies!

Actually I can never seem to remember this cookie's name when I describe it to people, because there's just so much goodness going on in one little cookie. It's an apple-spice-oatmeal-raisin-dewdrop-from-God. Or something like that. No matter what it's called, this recipe has received rave reviews in my house and in my classroom, and I'm eager to share it with you, too!

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies 
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup soft shortening
1 egg
1 cup sweetened applesauce

1) Mix and sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

If spices had 8th grade yearbooks, here's what my inscription to Cinnamon would say: "C--you make the world a better place. Stay cool and never change. LYLAS 4 Ever."

What, it's true, and you know it.

2) Add remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

3) Drop by tablespoon on greased cookie sheet.
(One might call this a heaping tablespoon. Note: one can never heap too much when it comes to these apple raisin pancake patties. Wait, what are they called?)

 4) Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes 3 dozen.

I can't even begin to tell you what a warm and delicious addition these cookies will be to your life! They are light and fluffy, and super easy to make, especially with a stand mixer doing all the work. The perfect ratio of apple to oatmeal to raisin to cinnamon to nutmeg.

What are these things called again? Oh, yeah, I remember now: Perfection.