My daughter works in the healthcare industry and we all know how busy healthcare workers are right now. I thought it would be fun to bake up a batch of mini-donuts for the folks that work in her department. I’m told these were a big hit.
These couldn’t be any easier to make. The maple glaze is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
I found the recipe here:
While rummaging through some piles of paper last week, I found a county fair cookbook that I had purchased many years ago. One of the dog-eared pages held this delicious recipe for County Fair Orange Cake. Looking further, I realized it was a cake that I had entered into the fair that year. While It didn’t receive the top prize, it’s always held a blue ribbon in my book. It’s incredibly easy to make and my family loves the bright citrus flavor of the orange juice, pudding mix and glaze. Yep, it’s a winner!
County Fair Orange Cake
1 (15.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.5-ounce) package lemon instant pudding mix
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Orange Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon orange zest plus more for garnishing
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Add the orange juice, oil, eggs and orange zest; beat with a mixer at low speed to combine. Beat an additional 4 minutes with mixer on medium speed.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Transfer to a platter and poke holes all over with a skewer. Carefully, pour warm orange glaze over the cake. Garnish with more orange zest for serving.
For the Orange Glaze: Cook the sugar, orange juice, and butter in a saucepan over medium, stirring, until the butter is melted. Cook 2 more minutes and remove from the heat; stir in the orange zest.
Several weeks ago, a local orchard hosted a day of free apple-picking. Our family took a leisurely ride out to the farm and picked oodles of gorgeous red apples in the late summer sunshine. After it was all said and done, we had picked nearly seventy pounds of apples. Our canvas bags were overflowing as we loaded them into the car and headed to the farmhouse for a hearty lunch. As we waited for our table, I thought about all of the delicious treats I could make with our lot. I would make applesauce in the pressure cooker, several spicy applesauce quick breads, a special Bundt cake that holds an array of wonderful fall flavors, peanut butter and apple slice sandwiches, and lots of other apple flavored items.
This cake is one of our family favorites. I often bring it along to various outdoor parties hosted during the autumn months. It’s a great Thanksgiving dessert. Served up with a piping hot cup of tea or coffee, this one is a winner!
Apple Cider Donut Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
¾ cup apple cider
½ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup coarsely shredded peeled tart apples (2 medium)
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
3 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 350°F. Generously spray a Bundt cake pan with cooking spray.
In large bowl, beat together the first 6 ingredients. Stir in apples. Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let stand 20 minutes; loosen Cake and remove from pan to cooling rack or large, round cake platter.
Brush top and sides of cake with 3 tablespoons melted butter. In small bowl, mix sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon until blended. Carefully and generously distribute sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top and sides of the cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
This recipe is adapted from a recipe found here:
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/apple-cider-doughnut-cake/7d9dadd5-834d-469e-9485-3356d8f028c4
A beautiful day for a drive…
Beautiful red delicious apples…
This is one of my most favorite times of the year. The morning temperatures are a bit brisk but not too overwhelming and the afternoon sun shines across the fields of trees bearing copper, red, and gold leaves. As I sip on my first cup of morning coffee, I enjoy nature’s beauty and feel blessed to live on a hilly country road away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The comforting quiet of the weekend morning is something I will never take for granted as I plan my day and bake/cook for the upcoming week.
Yesterday, my daughter headed to a local orchard to pick up some piping hot apple donuts and a variety of crisp, ripe apples for a weeks worth of lunches. I slipped a few of the apples out of the bag to assemble this tasty, crisp dessert. If I’m in a hurry, I often use homemade apple sauce as the base for this recipe but it’s quite quick to pull together which ever way you choose to make it. Serve with a cup of coffee or a scoop of vanilla ice cream… It doesn’t get any better than this.
Saturday Morning Apple Crumble
10 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 13X9″ pan by spraying with a non-stick baking spray. Place apples in a large bowl, mix sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Let stand so the mixture becomes juicy as water is released from the fruit.
Meanwhile, combine oats, remaining flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda. Mix in the egg; stir until combined. Evenly pour apple mixture into baking dish. Crumble oat and flour mixture evenly over the apples. Pour melted butter evenly over the top of the assembled dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
Years ago, when our children were little, we used to hold an annual fall party for family and friends on our beautiful wooded lot. We’d elaborately decorate the barn and yard with hay bales and pumpkins, colored lights and corn stalks. I’d cook large pots of soup, chili, baked beans and bratwurst. A dessert table always displayed an abundance of tasty autumn treats to satisfy all of the guests. This cheeseburger soup was always a staple recipe made for the festive backyard party. I would double or triple the ingredients and separate the batch to freeze a portion in serving sized containers. This way, we had a supply on hand to enjoy during the cool autumn and winter months.
Cheeseburger Soup
2 pound ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
6 cups chicken broth (I use chicken soup base mixed with water, as directed on package)
5 cups diced peeled potatoes
1/4 cup flour
4 cups (16 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
In a large soup pot, brown beef; drain and set aside. In the same pot, sauté the onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts.
Tip: I make my own croutons to top the soup. Just cube a few slices of day old bread or leftover buns and sprinkle them with oil, garlic powder and salt (to taste). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Cool; store in an airtight container.
The view out my window teams with an array of fall colors. The season’s best; deep golden yellow, burgundy red, and burnt sienna cover the trees as the leaves slowly fall and the cooler temperatures usher in the Midwest climate change.
I stepped outside a few minutes ago, to enjoy another beautiful autumn Sunday. As I made my way across the deck, I was greeted by the aroma of a wood fire. Neighbors in the area are taking advantage of their fire pits as they rake leaves and clean up garden beds for it is time we put the backyard to sleep for the coming winter months.
A fitting autumn treat, Apricot Snacking Cake, bakes in the oven as we hope to enjoy a relaxed evening munching on this delicious, pudding-like, dessert with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream. (Even better, a steamy cup of tea will accompany this scrumptious autumn treat just perfectly.) I’m hoping the mild temperatures will hold on as the autumn sun begins to set. What a delight it might be if we can enjoy this delicious dessert outdoors as the soft breezes blow and the leaves delicately dance to the ground.
Afterwards, I’ll slice up the left over cake into serving-sized squares and pack it in an airtight container to make for a quick morning bite, as we hurry out the door to start another busy work week.
Apricot Snacking Cake with Crunchy Flax Topping
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
2 12 oz. cans apricot pie filling (I use Solo brand)
1 serving sized packet – steel cut instant oatmeal with flax
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with cooking spray, a 9×13 baking pan.
In large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and stir in the oil, eggs and pie filling. Stir until well combined. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with one serving sized packet of instant oatmeal.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Drizzle with icing, if desired.
This picture doesn’t do justice to the sweet, flavorful taste of this side dish. Cubed butternut squash and apples with a sprinkling of dried cranberries make this perfect for any fall feast.
Yesterday, I drove to a local orchard to pick up some fruits and vegetables for the week. As I got closer to the orchard, the traffic got heavy and came to a stand still. I thought that there might have been an accident but as my car crawled closer to my destination, I realized the back up was due to the amount of visitors headed to the orchard. As much as I would have liked to go in and get my produce, I had to drive on by because there wasn’t a parking space to be had in both of their spacious parking lots. While I was sad to have missed a visit, I was really happy for the orchard owners to have such a booming business! I think I will try to make my way back during the week when traffic is a little less hectic.
Meanwhile, I drove further down the road to pick up some butternut squash and apples to make a great new side dish that I recently discovered. This is sweet, tender, and nutritious. I added a few pecans for a bit of added crunch.
Autumn Squash and Apple Bake
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 package butternut squash, cubed. (found in the produce section)
1 medium apple, cubed
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a 11×13″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Combine margarine with all ingredients and pour into prepared baking dish. Season with salt, if desired. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until squash is tender.
Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts 