Apples Don’t Fall Far From the Tree —

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away. That’s a phrase the people spouted in a time before we used words like “health food”.  Those people weren’t lying because apples are now categorized as one of the healthiest foods on the planet.  The new apple crop is here, and  I am always amazed by the growing number of new varieties arriving on the scene each season.  Last year, my standout favorite was the Opal Apple, a new kid on the block. If I remember correctly, it didn’t appear until late in the season, and it disappeared very quickly, probably because it is so darn good!  It’s yellow in color like a golden delicious, but so much better. It is sweet, juicy, crisp, and non-GMO.  Best of all, it doesn’t turn brown once it’s cut. Sliced, it makes the perfect addition to a cheese plate.  I haven’t spotted any this season but I’m on the look-out, because this is an Apple worth waiting for!

I am my mother’s daughter; my mother never wasted anything. She was one of the most creative people I have ever known. She wouldn’t have said that about herself, because to her it was just what you did. Her intuitive skill not only applied to the kitchen where she had 9 mouths to feed, but also into her ability to transform garments with her sewing.  Somehow she was able to see that my sister’s old skirt could be transformed into a new blouse for me. She spent hours painstakingly ripping garments apart, and then re-cutting the fabric into something entirely new. She was amazing and I miss her.

“Taste like an apple pie, only much easier to make!”

So when I opened the crisper drawer of my refrigerator and found a couple of apples past their prime, I thought about my mother. She wouldn’t let those languishing apples go to waste, and neither should I.  They became my muses – in other words my inspiration for this Apple Brunch Cake. The recipe that I have tweaked is my riff on an old recipe for apple cupcakes from Cooking Light. It’s a moist, delicious, cinnamon apple splendor, baked into a cake that has become a favorite around my house.  It’s easy to make, and it’s a nice addition to a cup of coffee on a lazy weekend morning. It’s also great or as a simple evening dessert or just because it’s Tuesday.  The recipe is baked in a single 8 inch round cake pan. Sometimes, I  split the batter into two smaller, 4-inch pans (I use Fat Daddio’s).  The end result is two cakes – a perfect portion for a household of two.  This way, one can be enjoyed immediately, and the other wrapped and frozen for delayed gratification or given as a home-baked gift.  Once again, I repeat, “cook once – eat twice,” is my motto!