Apple Cake + Hard Pears

laughing_cow

Hi all

1. I've been given a load of Bramley apples and would like to make an apple cake. For those who have ever been to Pret A Manger, I'd like something similar to their apple cake - a nice moist cake, with brown sugar sprinkled on top. Yum! Anyone got a recipe?

2. I've also been given lots of pears. However, they are quite hard so I'm not sure I can use them in my usual pear, blackberry and almond tart. What's the best way to use hard pears? Would it be best to poach them? Anyone got any nice recipes?

Ta v.much! :beer:

katieowl_2

I found this one on a blog a couple of days back - and it is a good one - I just love all in one cakes, I tried it out on the spot as we had some windfalls to use up.... DH and the kids loved it:

SPICY APPLE BARS

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 unbeaten eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups diced apples
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

put all ingredients except apples and nuts in a bowl and mix well. Stir in apples and nuts, bake in greased 9" pan Bake at 375 for 25 minutes

WWW.morningramble.blogspot.com

Cup size doesn't really matter as long as it is the same throught (obviously increasing spice and baking powder a bit!) but a US cup is a small teacup size, for 'Shortening' I used Stork

Regards

Kate

laughing_cow

Thank you. I've got lots of apples so will be making a pie and I'll have a go at your recipe too. I've got a cup measurement, so I should be able to get it right. I think the using cups will be good anyway because my scales are a bit rubbish!

Now I've only got to work out what to do with a load pears, oh, and a small bowl of damsons too!

Does anyone know if I can ripen the pears or have any recipes using hard pears?

Cheers

newleaf

Put your pears in a paper bag with a banana or two. Bananas give off a gas that causes other fruit to ripen - which is why they sell those banana hooks to suspend them from instead of keeping them in the fruit bowl with everything else.

laughing_cow

Thank you. Of course, I should have thought of that one as I do it all the time with avocados. Doh!

Penny_Watcher

free pret a manger recipes

This was posted by purplepurple on the freebies (no spend required thread). That's the good news.

The bad news is that the apple cake recipe isn't listed. However, if you enjoy Pret a Mangers food there is a big long list of free recipes.

Enjoy

dannahaz

Home grown pears are notorious for being underripe one dat, ripe the next, and rotten on the third day. Gardening books advise picking while underripe (which yours are), and then just leaving them, they'll ripen up over a few days and be absolutely gorgeous.

laughing_cow

katieowl wrote:

I found this one on a blog a couple of days back - and it is a good one - I just love all in one cakes, I tried it out on the spot as we had some windfalls to use up.... DH and the kids loved it:

SPICY APPLE BARS

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 unbeaten eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups diced apples
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

put all ingredients except apples and nuts in a bowl and mix well. Stir in apples and nuts, bake in greased 9" pan Bake at 375 for 25 minutes

WWW.morningramble.blogspot.com

Cup size doesn't really matter as long as it is the same throught (obviously increasing spice and baking powder a bit!) but a US cup is a small teacup size, for 'Shortening' I used Stork

Regards

Kate

I've made this now - :beer: thanks Kate!

It was sooooo easy - especially using cups rather than weighing stuff on scales - it took only minutes to make

I made two versions - the first one with some hazelnuts in, the second I substituted half of the rolled oats for some multigrain porridge oats (Jordans) and chucked in some dried coconut pieces.

Both cakes have gone down very well in the office today!