Tag Archives: Memoires

Let’s Eat!-Desserts-Cakes-Part 3

27 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Willa

Before I leave the Let’s Eat Cake – there is one more I would like to mention:  Apple cake from Georgia.  I found this recipe from Paula Dean on the Food Network and have made it several times, and we enjoy it.  

You can also find this recipe on Paula Deen’s website.

APPLE CAKE FROM GEORGIA

Grandgirl’s Fresh Apple Cake From Georgia

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

On the Food Network

Cake:

Butter, for greasing pan (I used spray Pam)

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1½ cups unsweetened apple sauce

¼ cup orange juice**

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 peeled and finely chopped apple

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

Sauce:

½ cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

½ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 325º F.  Generously grease the pan.

For the cake:  in a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, apple sauce, **orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract, and mix well.  Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1½ hours.

Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce:   Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Boil for 1 minute.  Pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven.  Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Judy’s notes:  

1.  I am not fond of coconut, so I did not use it when I made this cake..

2.  I did use real butter for the sauce

3.  I don’t keep buttermilk on hand, so I make my own:  ½ cup milk, and mix in ½ 

tablespoon either lemon juice or vinegar to sour.  Let stand at least five (5) 

minutes.

4.  After the “buttermilk” has been made, mix in the baking soda before you add it to the 

saucepan.

5.  Make quite a few cuts in the cake before you pour the sauce over it, so it will seep 

down into the cake better.

6.  I tested my cake at 1 hour 20 minutes, and it was done.   I suggest you test it at 1 

hour 10 minutes, and again at 1 hour 20 minutes, if it isn’t done.  My oven seems

to bake hot, so it didn’t need that extra 10 minutes to be done.

 7. ** I don’t use orange juice, so I use lemon juice with two packets of Stevia mixed in.

 8.  DO NOT USE LOOSE GRANULATED STEVIA as a substitute for the sugar in

      this recipe.  I tried it once, and it did NOT rise!  Use regular granulated sugar.

 9.  I find it easier to mix in the spices and nuts BEFORE you add the flour – while the 

      batter is a little “juicy”.  You might try adding the apples early, as well.         

10.  I use a one-piece Angel Food pan for this.  If you use one that has a “lift-out” center,           the glaze will run out of the pan.  The one-piece keeps it in the cake.  This could be                                                              made in a Bundt pan, if desired.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Circuitous Travel~Part 2

6 Aug

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

 

Circuitous travel, continued. I did want to add this photo – our daughter, Karen, found it on Google Search. This is what travel is like in a C-130; that’s the way we traveled from Germany to England. Fortunately, Fred says it’s only about a 2-hour flight.

 

               Credit Google Search

Okay…on to our travels in England. We left the B&B in Mildenhall, home of Mr. & Mrs. Amber, and started our journey north toward Scotland. Our first day’s travel took us eventually to Durham for an overnight.

 

Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right – York

On our way north, we stopped in Cambridge. Within Cambridge University, we went to Trinity College and walked around a bit, taking pictures of the College.

 

    Credit Google Search and UK Fundraising

 

 

After leaving Cambridge, we headed to York.

From Wikipedia I found: York (Old Norse: Jórvík) is a historic walled city at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The municipality is the traditional county town of Yorkshire to which it gives its name. The Emperors Hadrian, Septimius Severus and Constantius I all held court in York during their various campaigns. During his stay 207–211 AD, the Emperor Severus proclaimed York capital of the province of Britannia Inferior, and it is likely that it was he who granted York the privileges of a colonia or city. Constantius I died in 306 AD during his stay in York.

For a little more history from Wikipedia: In 1068, two years after the Norman conquest of England, the people of York rebelled. Initially the rebellion was successful but upon the arrival of William the Conqueror the rebellion was put down. William at once built a wooden fortress on a motte. In 1069, after another rebellion, William built another timbered castle across the River Ouse. These were destroyed in 1069 and rebuilt by William about the time of his ravaging Northumbria in what is called the “Harrying of the North” where he destroyed everything from York to Durham. The remains of the rebuilt castles, now in stone, are visible on either side of the River Ouse.

 

 

 

York Fire Station

 

So, as you might see, York is a most interesting place to visit. We walked around the town a bit, most impressed with the York Minister Cathedral. Quite majestic and beautiful. It seems to dominate the city. One of the interesting points in York is Clifford’s Tower, which is the “keep” of York Castle.

 

 

It sits high above the street level and is a prominent vista for the town.

 

A reconstruction of York Castle in the 14th century, viewed from the south-east

We climbed the stairs and took this picture of the city of York from there.

 

 

We left York and drove northwest to Harrogate.

 

Credit Google Search

 

From Harrogate we drove again northwest to Ripon and Fountain’s Abbey. From Wikipedia: Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 407 years, until 1539, when Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

 

 

    Credit Google Search

 

We had a grand time walking through the ruins. Janet, especially, enjoyed running about through the ruins. I remember asking the gentleman at the ticket counter if there was a story about Fountain’s Abbey. His reply? “Yes.” Nothing more.

From Fountain’s Abbey, we drove northeast to Durham, where we spent the night in another B&B.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

 

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