Apple bars or Apple pie my way/Prajitura cu mere

Apple bars or Apple pie my way

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

I bought a box of apples, in hope that I will never have to see a doctor hahaha, and I noticed that a few of them that were left in the bottom started to get some wrinkles. I knew nobody will eat them but didn’t want to waste them, so I had to do some kind of cosmetic surgery on them. I had to many apple for a compote (sliced apple boiled in water with a cinnamon stick and a little sugar –yummy), then I remembered the apple bars that made my house smell soooo  gooood .

Alright, alright enough talking let me write the recipe .

For the crust you’ll need

1.    2 ½ cups flour

2.    2 sticks butter room temperature

3.    1 egg

4.    1 tbsp.  vanilla sugar

5.    5 tsp. baking powder

6.    1 tbsp. (apple cider) vinegar

7.    3 tbsp. confectioners' sugar

And for filling

1.    About 2 lb. apples

2.    6 tbsp. brown sugar if using tart apples, less sugar if apples are sweet.

3.    2-3 tbsp. ground cinnamon

4.    1 tbsp. bread crumbs or flour

5.    Vanilla extract optional

Start with the filling: wash the apples very well, peel them if you wish,(I didn’t peel mine) , core and grate them . They will turn brown due to oxidation process ,I guess you can place them in a bowl of water and lemon juice, to prevent color change , but color does not bother me in this case , so I skipped this step.

Place grated apples (I probably had more than 2 lb. this time), sugar, cinnamon (and vanilla) in a pot and cooked on medium heat, stirring so it will not get burned on the bottom. Add bread crumbs /flour and mix as well. When mixture thickens remove and let cool, away from children and/or other people in your house ,if you want to have any filling left for your bars.

In a bowl beat butter, sugar, and vanilla sugar, adds egg and mix to incorporate well. Add half the flour, mix, then add baking powder , vinegar and the rest of the flour, mix well .If dough is to soft , refrigerate for a few min. I refrigerated mine a little too long and when I started to roll it ,it cracked. So the top crust I knead it a little until dough became more pliable. Flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll half of the dough and place it in your ungreased pan (or 2 pie dishes). Prick dough allover with a fork. Place cool apples and spread evenly. Roll the other half of the dough and place it on top. Prick with a fork or cut a few small slits in top.

Bake for about 30-40 min or until slightly golden brown. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar (vanilla flavored is even better) let it cool before serving.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Linzer cookies /Fursecuri Linzer cu Zmeura

Raspberry Linzer Cookies

Last week a friend asked me if I could bake some cookies for an open house .I am not a cookie person, but I could not say no. I didn’t know why people say that baking cookies is fun for kids, until I started baking them while my children were at school. But to me it’s kind of boring to have only one kind of cookies on the table (even if they are shaped and colored differently) so I decided to make 4 different types of cookies: Lemon Sugar cookies, Raspberry Linter cookies, Stained Window Honey Cookies, and Chocolate Almond Spritz Cookies.  

Saptamina trecuta,o prietena m-a rugat sa-i fac citeva fursecuri pentru un evenimet la servici.Eu nu prea ma omor cu fursecurile, dar nu puteam sa o refuz. Si cum mi se pare plictisitor sa ai o masa plina cu fursecuri in diferite forme si culori dar cu acelasi gust ,am decis sa fac 4 feluri diferite de fursecuri :  Sugar Cookies cu aroma de Lamiie , Fursecuri Linzer cu Zmeura, Fursecuri cu Miere "Vitraliu" ,si Fursecuri de Ciocolata si Migdale 

Raspberry Linzer is my children’s’ favorite

Ingredients

1.    1 cup ( 2 sticks )unsalted butter (softened)

2.    2/3 cup sugar (next time I will use just ½ cup)

3.    1 egg

4.    2 cups all-purpose  flour

5.    1 cup finely ground almonds

6.    ¼ tsp. cinnamon

7.    ½ vanilla extract

8.    1 pinch of salt

9.    1 cup raspberry jam

10. Powdered sugar

You will also need 2 different sizes cookie cutters.

Fusecurile Linzer sunt insa preferatele copiilor.

Ingrediente

1. 220g unt la temperatura camerei
2. 2/3 cana zahar (data viiroare voi reduce la 1/2 cana -1cana -240ml)
3. 1 ou
4. 2 cani faina
5. 1 cana migdare macinate fin
6. 1/4 lingurita scotisoara
7. 1 vf cutit sare
8. 1 cana gem de zmeura
9. zahar pudra

Mai aveti nevoie de forme pentru taiat prajiturile diferite forme si marimi

Beat sugar and butter (with an electric mixer) until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and cinnamon and mix well. Mix in salt, almonds, and flour until incorporated. Divide dough in 2 pieces about 1 in thick, wrap each in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs or overnight.

Bateti spuma untul cu zaharul, adaugati oul, vanilia si scortisoara,amestecati bine. Adaugati sarea,migdalele si faina si amestecati pina ce toate sunt bine incorporate .Impartiti aluatul in 2 ,inveliti fiecare jumatate(aprox 2 cm grosime) in hirtie cearata sau folie de plastic si puneti in in frigider pentru cel putin 2 ore ,sau chiar peste noapte.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Flour work surface and the rolling pin (and resist temptation to substitute powdered sugar for flour, it works well on sugar cookies, but not for this) and roll dough about 1/8 in thick. Cut out cookies, then using a smaller cookie cutter cut out the center of half of the cookies. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, place cookies on the parchment paper and bake for 10-12 min or until slightly golden brown on the edges. Remove from the sheet and when completely cool, invert a cookie bottom and spread 1 tsp. jam. Dust top cookies with powdered sugar and place them on top of the whole cookies pressing gently.

Incalziti cuptorul la 180° C .Pudrati suprafata de lucru si sucitorul cu faina (rezistati tentatiei de a folosi zahar pudra in loc de faina,Sugar cookies se ruleaza bine cu zahar pudra dar nu si aceste fursecuri   -   credeti-ma am incercat :)   ) Intindeti aluatul cu o grosime de aprox 1/4 cm . Folositi forma mai mare sa taiati fursecurile ,apoi folosind o forma mai mica taiati mijlocul la jumatate din ele . Asezati prajiturile in tava tapeteta cu hirtie de copt ,si dati-le la cuptor pentru 10 -12 minute sau pina ce marginile devin aurii. Scoateti fursecurile din tava ,lasati sa se raceasca bine,apoi, daca doriti, pudrati cu zahar  suprafata fursecurilor cu mijlocul decupat . Luati apoi un fursec intreg il intoarceti cu fata in jos,ungeti cu o lingurita de gem de zmeura si puneti deasupra un fursec cu mijlocul decupat apasind usor .

Enjoy!

                                  Pofta buna!

Pumpkin Cake /Tort de bostan

 

For those of you who are like me and  love pumpkin ,here is a delicious  recipe . I made it twice, it came out light ,moist and delicious! You can be sure I'll make it again for Thanksgiving .

Daca va place bostanul la fel de mult cum imi place si mie, incercati reteta urmatoare! Am facut-o de 2 ori ,a iesit delicoasa! Si puteti fi siguri ca o voi face iar cit de curind!

Ingredients

1. 1 cups white sugar
2. 3/4 cups vegetable oil
3. ½ cup apple sauce
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5. 2 cups canned (or pureed ) pumpkin
6. 4 eggs
7. 1 ¾  cups all-purpose flour
8. 3 teaspoons baking powder
9. 2 teaspoons baking soda
10. 1/4 teaspoon salt
11. 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
12. ½  tsp Nutmeg
13. ½  tsp ground cloves
14. 1/8 tsp allspice
15. 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
16. 1-2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (optional)
17. 2 tbsp  oranje or lemon  juice ,or  even apple cider vinegar

Ingrediente:

1. 1 cana (240 ml) zahar
2. 3/4 cana ulei
3. 1/2 cana sos de mere(mere fierte si pasate)
4. 1 lingurita vanilie
5. 2 cani pireu de bostan
6. 4 oua
7. 1 ¾ cana faina
8. 3 lingurite praf de copt
9. 2lingurite bicarbonat
10. 1/4 lingurita sare
11. 2 lingurite scortisoara
12. 1/2 lingurita nucsoara
13. 1/2 lingurita cuisoare (macinate)
14. 1/8 lingurita Ienibahar
15. 1 cana nuci tocate (nu risnite)- optional
16. 1/2 cana merisoare sau visine congelate  -optional
17. 2 linguri suc de lamie sau portocale sau chiar otet( de mere)

 Directions

 

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12x18 inch pan or a round pan . Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

 Incalziti cuptorul la 175*C .tapetati tava cu faina . Cerneti faina ,bicarbonatul , praful de copt,sarea si siscortisoara.

2.   Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then continue beating while slowly adding the sugar until stiff peaks have formed. Fold in egg yolks until evenly mixed, add oil a little at the time , then fold in apple sauce and pumpkin and the flour ,baking soda ,baking powder ,salt and cinnamon. Add orange juice,and stir  in nuts and cranberries . Spread batter into prepared 12x18 inch pan.

Bateti albusurile spuma adaugati zaharul si bateti in continuare pina devine o spuma tare,incorporati galbenusurile,Adaugati uleiul ,cite putin odata. Apoi incorporati pireul de mere si de bostan ,si celelate ingrediente uscate. Adaugati sucul de lamiie, nucile si merisoarele.Turnati in tava.

3.   Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Coaceti aproximativ 30 minute ,sau pina ce scobitoarea iese curata . Lasati sa se raceasca.

Cream cheese Pumpkin frosting

  

1. 1 8oz pkg cream cheese
2. 1-1½ cup pumpkin puree
3. 1   cup powdered sugar
4. 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
5. 1 tsp  vanilla
6.  2tbsp orange juice

 Crema de brinza si bostan

1.  240 g Crema de brinza(Philadelphia )
2.   1-1½  cana pireu de bostan
3. 1 cana zahar pudra
4. 1/2 lingurita scortisoara
5. 1 lingurita vanilie
6. 2 linguri suc de portocale(nu din concentrat)

  Beat the cream cheese in a mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar. Add pumpkin,vanilla and orange juice. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and spreadable.

     Frecati bine crema de brinza pina devine usoara si pufoasa. Adaugati zaharul pudra,apoi bostanul,vanilia,si sucul de portocale . Amestecati bine pina ce crema devine omogena si usor de intins.                       

 

 

                                                               ENJOY!!!!!!    Pofta buna!

 

 With a Halloweenish look