em + the kitchen - apple butter.

In 2008, my Aunt Lisa took me on a trip through California. We started in San Francisco (where I promptly fell in love with the city) and took the 1 all the way down to LA, stopping in Carmel and Monterey on the way. It was my first real traveling adventure and I've not been able to shake the wanderlust bug since then.
Of the many great experiences during the trip, one I specifically remember is tasting apple butter for the first time. My Aunt Lisa had lived in SF for a while in her early 30's and would frequently get breakfast at a restaurant on Lombard St called Home Plate. She took me there to experience their freshly made scones and apple butter and I never looked back.

It's for this reason, 5 years later, that I knew I needed to make apple butter. Besides, what else am I going to do with 9 pounds of apples? Must. Use.
I'm so glad I decided to use 3.5 of those pounds to make this. It was smooth, thick, and perfectly fall-tasting. Not to mention, I was forced to buy an immersion blender that I'd secretly been wanting for a long time. Win-win-win!

Slow Cooker Apple Butter
(recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction)

Ingredients:
3.5 lbs apples - peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp vanilla

Place apple slices in crock pot or large bowl.
Combine all sugars and spices and pour over apples. Mix well so all slices are coated.
Turn crock pot on low for 6-10 hours, returning every hour or so to stir. Once apples are mostly broken down and color has turned a dark brown, you're nearing the end.
Stir in vanilla and leave uncovered to cook for another 1-2 hours.
Use immersion blender to make butter completely smooth.
Spoon into mason jars and store in fridge for up to 2 weeks (if it will even last that long without you gobbling it up!).

This recipe made 2 pints for me. I bought half-pint mason jars that are juuuust adorable and handed them out to friends and family.
Have you ever tasted something on vacation that rocked your world?
-e.

em + the kitchen - apple toffee blondies.

Are you ready for the first of what is sure to be many apple recipes?
This is a really good one to start off on. It's quick, delicious, and makes just enough that you don't have to feel too guilty if you end up eating the whole thing yourself.

It makes 4 larger servings or 8 fun-size ones -- perfect for a fall dinner party.
And it tastes like a caramel apple in blondie form. The perfect blend of sugary sweet and salty. Yum!

There's also something totally rewarding about eating baked goods made with apples that you picked yourself. I'm pretty sure it makes them more delicious than store-bought.

Apple Toffee Blondies
(recipe from dessertfortwo)

Ingredients:
3 tblsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup flour
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup toffee bits

Preheat the oven to 350* and line a 9" loaf pan with parchment paper.
Melt the butter in a medium bowl, then whisk in sugars, egg, and vanilla until creamy.
Add the cinnamon, salt, and flour and stir until just combined.
Fold in the apple pieces and pour batter into loaf pan.
Sprinkle top with toffee pieces. Bake 28-34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes and then lift blondies out using parchment paper.

Slice and enjoy!
I'd be lying if I said I hadn't already enjoyed half of it myself and have the final piece staring at me, waiting to be enjoyed.
Who's going to come eat this piece so I'm not forced to??
-e.

things I love - october.

October may be my favorite month.
Did I already say that about June? Whatever. I'm allowed to have a favorite month in each different season.
There's just something refreshing about a tangible change in the weather -- warm air being slowly ushered out by cool nights, which eventually turn into cool days as well.

There's a lot of things I've loved about this month.

My introduction to ramen in Austin. It was incredible.

And now Dallas has jumped on the bandwagon as well. Must. Go.

Inspiring Dallas architecture discovered on late nights with good friends.

Much needed manicures in delightful fall hues.
(Here's to attempt #46743 to stop chewing my nails!)

Sweet pumpkin spice lattes from local coffee hangouts.

That perfect Friday night when there's actually an open table outside.

Also, I knowww I promised apple recipes. I've already made a great cinnamon apple bundt cake, but it completely fell apart as I took it out of the pan. It quickly became cinnamon apple slices-of-cake with no glaze. I called it bread. It got eaten up.
There will be some soon. Hang in there.

Are you enjoying this delightful rush of fall leaves and wind?
-e.

apple pickin' season.

You totally didn't believe me when I said I was going apple picking, did you?
"She lives in the city!", you thought. "It's the name of her blog!", you exclaimed.

Well, hah. I totally went apple picking. Some girls from my community group tagged along as well. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to boot!
I called ahead to Henrietta Apple Orchards (incidentally, the only apple orchard in the surrounding area) and she said most trees were already empty, but I was welcome to search through the "seconds in apples". That basically means it's what's left over from the harvest. Not the prettiest or biggest, but perfect for baking, which we all know is what I plan on using them for. Not to mention, they were only 70 cents a pound! Ya'll know I had to buy 9 lbs, right?

Check it out.

What a fun, adventurous, gorgeous day!
I can't wait to post some delicious recipes. Ya'll are gonna get tired of apples.
Is that even possible?
-e.

em + the kitchen - magic cake.

Yesterday was my last shift on the 7th floor at Zale. I'll be starting a new job in the SICU, just 4 floors down, on Monday. I'm super excited and super nervous and super a-bunch-of-other-feelings that I can't quite articulate. It's going to be a great move for my career, but I also fell totally in love with the people I worked with. I couldn't have asked for a better almost 2 years as a nurse and I learned an incredible amount.

Now, though, I have a whole new floor to impress with my baking. ;)
For my last shift, I brought a Magic Cake, which seems to be gaining popularity on Pinterest.
I can see why! Fairly simple to make, with a rich, custard-y flavor, this was a big hit on my floor. A good dish to go out on.
It's called "magic" cake, because the batter turns into 3 separate layers on it's own as it's baking. It's pretty cool (and gives the illusion that you worked harder on this cake than you actually did!). I must warn you, though. This did not create the most appetizing photos. Just trust me that it truly is delicious. Mmk?

Magic Cake
(makes 12 or 16 pieces, depending on how you cut it)

Ingredients:
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup flour
2 cups lukewarm milk

Preheat your oven to 325* and grease an 8x8 baking dish.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites and beat the whites in a mixer until light and fluffy. Set to the side.
Beat the eggs yolks and sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla and melted butter and beat until well mixed. Now add the flour and mix until fully incorporated.
Slowly start pouring the milk in and beat until everything is well mixed together. The batter at this point is going to be super runny and you're going to be wondering what you did wrong. The answer is nothing, I promise. That's how it's supposed to look.
Fold in the egg whites, 1/3rd at a time. It may be a bit chunky looking, but that's okay.
Pour into the baking dish and bake anywhere from 40-70 minutes. The top should be golden brown and the center jiggly but not liquid. Mine took about 50 minutes.

The result was described on my floor as "a really rich bread pudding". I cut mine into 16 pieces for that very reason - it was super rich and creamy and I didn't want huge pieces.
Considering how many times I thought I had this recipe completely wrong, this really is a magic cake! It came out beautifully.

I'm going apple picking this weekend for the first time and am so excited! Be prepared for the barrage of baked apple recipes (and photos) that are sure to follow.
What's your favorite apple recipe? I'm looking forward to making my first from-scratch apple pie!
-e.