EASY HOMEMADE TAPIOCA PUDDING

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Custards/Puddings, Desserts, Easy Homemade Tapioca Pudding, Food, Fruit Toppings

WITH APPLE, RAISIN, WALNUT TOPPING

Tapioca pudding is good and easy on its own, but is far more exciting when you incorporate the fruits of the season with it. As for myself I love tapioca pudding, but it is exciting to make  a simple mixture of fruits in season into a topping to accompany the pudding, during the summer months this can be anything from strawberries, to peaches, apricots, nectarines, mixed berries, now that we are in the autumn months apples are the thing.

If you are in the mood for a pie, but don’t feel like making a pie, then this is an easy way to have fruit and cream all in one easy step. I always keep small pearl tapioca on the shelf. you just need to think ahead a day, before you go to bed at night put some tapioca pearl to soak in a cup of water to soften over night.

As for the fruit, I usually just sugar the fruit, let it draw a bit, then put in a pan with 1/2 cup of water or so and simmer to soften, most apples except apples this means just heating to warm, and thickening.

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CRANBERRY TAPIOCA

CREAMY RICE PUDDING

EASY HOMEMADE TAPIOCA PUDDING

1 QUART WHOLE MILK OR 1/2 AND 1/2 or part of each

3/4 Cup Small Tapioca Pearls (Soaked Overnight) will equal about 2 cups when soft) drained

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Egg Yolks

2 Tablespoon Butter

Grated Nutmeg (optional)

1-2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Pour milk into a large saucepan, add softened tapioca pearl, and grated nutmeg if desired. Heat over medium low heat until scalded stirring occasionally , but watch so as not scorch or boil. When milk is scalded, put in 1/2 cup sugar, stir to dissolve,

Beat egg yolks add 2 tablespoons sugar to yolks and mix well, add some of the scalded milk and temper the yolks mixing thoroughly, add this to the milk and tapioca mixture, stirring constantly bring to a boil, remove from heat , add butter and vanilla.

Pour into large heat proof bowl, let cool and chill in the refrigerator, you can also put into individual serving dishes to chill.

APPLE, RAISIN, CURRANT & WALNUT TOPPING

2 Medium Apple (peel, cut into 1/8ths and chop fine

Pinch of the following:

Raisins, Currants, Walnuts (broken or chopped into small peices )

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Water

1-1 1/2 tsp Corn Starch (water to make a thickening)

In a small sauce pan place 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup sugar,and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.  bring to boil and allow to boil and reduce some, add raisins, currants (does not take much several pinches of each and chopped English Walnuts (again just a few will do. allow to cook and reduce not quite to 1/2, then add apples bring to a boil (apples this size will not take long to cook, just a minute or so. Add a thickening of about 1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with a little cool water, and add to sauce pan stirring constantly when thickened  remover from heat 

VARIATIONS

I have tried this will fresh or frozen berries also either just sugared, or you could cook some water and sugar together, and make a thickening of it as above but since berries are so fragile it is best to add them to the cooling thickened syrup also a little fresh lime juice and or zest mixed with fresh berries make a really bright tasting dish of berries

FRESH APPLE/OATMEAL CAKE w/ CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

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Cakes, cream cheese, Cream Cheese Frosting, Desserts, Food, Fresh Apple/Oatmeal Cake, Fresh Apples, Frostings

Thinking of ways to use apples in new ways can be challenging. During the winter months you can find all sorts of recipes and ways to use these apples when you have a bushel looking at you: yet when you have them staring at you, your mind is a complete blank!

Apples are good keepers, so if you just step back and take a couple deep breaths, the ideas will come to you, unlike with soft fruits such as peaches when you are at wits end, between fruits ripening faster than you can think, and combatting fruit flies. Apples are a welcome sight.

This cake has two cups of freshly grated apples with the skins on so no peeling is required, speeding up the process. Also The cup of old fashioned rolled oats usually soaked in hot water, I did experiment by heating  1/2 cups of apple cider and pouring over the rolled oats. Cooking is all about experimentation. sometimes you win and sometimes you loose. This time I won!, at least if the friends that received the cake samples were honest with me.

For this cake I used Rome apples. I got 2 cups of grated apples from two good sized apples.

As for the frosting, in the past I have used a recipe that called for 8 ounces cream cheese and a stick of butter, beaten together at once, however this time I did some research to find a recipe that was different from the usual, and I believe it paid off, this recipe is the same as the common recipe usually found, however the technique is a bit different.

With this frosting recipe you add the room temp butter in slowly allowing more air to be beaten into the frosting between each addition and the same with the addition of the confectioners sugar adding in cup by cup. I believe the frosting is more firm. I was able to form peaks with mine. It does soften up however at room temp.

 

FRESH APPLE /OATMEAL CAKE

Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

1 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1 1/2 Cups Boiling Water or Apple Cider

Let soak for at least 20 minutes (will be added to the cake later)

2/3 Cup Butter Softened

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs Beaten

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

2 Cups Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

2 Cups Grated Apples

Combine the butter and sugars in mixing bowl and cream with flat beater, until light and fluffy.

Add beaten eggs, vanilla, and mix well

Add oatmeal mixture and mix well

Mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices, add to creamed mixture until well blended.

Add grated apples, mix well.

Pour into greased 9 x13 inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximate 40 to 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool and Frost.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTIING

8 OZ Cream Cheese (Room Temp)

1 Stick Butter (Room Temp)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

3-4 Cups Confectioner’s (10 X) Sugar

Beat the the cream cheese until fluffy, add the butter 2-3 tablespoons at a time and beat well between each addition.

Add Vanilla and mix well

Add the Confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time beating about 2 minutes between additions.

When all sugar has  been added beat on high for approximately 2 minutes.

Frost Cake

EASY RASPBERRIES & CREAM PANNA COTTA

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Desserts, Food, gelatin, Panna Cotta, Raspberries and Cream Panna Cotta, Spanish Cream

A Very Easy and Satisfying Dessert

For those of you unfamiliar with Panna Cotta, in the 1920’s to the 1960’s it was known as Spanish Cream in most cookbooks of the time. A very simple dessert that is good for you as it is easy to make. Spanish Cream, Panna Cotta is a simple gelatin dessert, just like modern day Jell-O, with the exception that it is made with milk, half and half or heavy cream. unflavored gelatin, sugar.

The only difference that I can find between Spanish Cream and Panna Cotta is that Spanish Cream in most recipes take eggs or egg yolks. Kind of the same difference between cornstarch pudding and custard, one takes egg and the other does not.

This recipe takes less sugar (you can add more) however I feel that when you add a sugared or sweetened fruit that you don’t need as much sugar in the main portion.

If you do decide to experiment and add eggs/egg yolks to yours sometime, then you will want to scald the milk, where as with Panna Cotta you need to  heat the milk to just being hot, and then add the softened gelatin to dissolve. So that you will make sure to cook the eggs fully.

The sky is the limit with Panna Cotta, you could make any fruit and cream Panna Cotta, or coffee/cream, mocha latte, chocolate, cinnamon, use your imagination, the best creations in cooking come with experimentation.

RASPBERRIES & CREAM PANNA COTTA

2 Cups 1/2 & 1/2

1/4 Cup sugar

1 Envelope Unflavored Gelatin

3 Tablespoons Cold Water

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Raspberries fresh or frozen, about 1/2 cup with 2 Tablespoons sugar and several for each cup as a garnish.

Place milk, half and half or heavy cream in sauce pan or microwaveable container with the 1/4 cup sugar, heat to hot (steaming) remove from heat.

In a small bowl place 3 Tablespoons cold water and sprinkle gelatin over the top,

Add gelatin to hot milk and stir to dissolve.

Add vanilla

Add sugared berries to the cups of your choosing, pour the Panna Cotta into the cups, the berries and juice will gently mix with the custard, set into the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve garnish with several fresh or thawed berries.

APPLE CRUNCH

Tags

Apple Crunch, Apples, Butter Wrappers, Cobbler's, Desserts, Food, Homemade Brown Sugar

Well you know that Fall is here when there are apples everywhere for sale in roadside stands and farmers markets,, although you can get summer varieties, the autumn apples always seem to be the best and has the most varieties to choose from.

This past Saturday I stopped by the Old Order Mennonite Orchard in Dayton VA, owned by Clifford and Ruby Rhodes, called Onyx Hill. They had 4 varieties to choose from Super Gold, Rome, Red and Golden Delicious. When compared to what you see in the stores these apples were great both in looks and price. I looked in several stores this week before getting apples just to see what they were selling for, in general they are selling for 1.67 to 2.69 per pound, I honestly do not see how people buy them in the grocery stores this would make the price per bushel astronomical!! 84.50 to 134.50 per bushel.

My apples came to 12.00 per bushel of Super Gold, and 17.50 per bushel for Rome’s both the Red and Golden Delicious were 17.50 per bu as well.

Right now I have an 18 quart Roaster oven full of apple butter in the making, and tonight will post the Apple Crunch Recipe.

Two related articles that can be used with this recipe are:

HOMEMADE BROWN SUGAR

SAVING BUTTER WRAPPERS

APPLE CRUNCH

1 Quart Sliced Apples

1 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Flour

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

CRUNCH TOPPING

3/4 Cup Oatmeal

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Butter

1/4 Teaspoon Soda

Pare and slice the apples

Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon and flour and sprinkle over the apples (mix as if for a pie)

Put apples in bottom of a greased baking dish.

Combine oatmeal, brown sugar, and soda

Add melted butter and rub into oatmeal mixture to make crumbs

Place crumbs on top of apples, patting them down evenly

Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 40 minutes

Makes 6-8 servings

Serve with milk, whipped cream or ice cream as desired.