Posts Tagged ‘apples’

Whole Wheat Walnut Pancakes with Brown Butter Apple Cinnamon Compote

Whole Wheat Walnut Pancakes / Good Things Grow

A couple weekends ago, some girlfriends and I hopped on I-5 heading south for a 2 1/2 hour drive. Our destination; The Cedar Grist Mill. The oldest working water powered flour mill in the state. The September afternoon was bright and sunny, it felt like a much needed mini road trip. The mill is completely volunteer operated, so the hours are limited, but the setting is absolutely beautiful and arriving a little early was nice because we found ourselves exploring around the riverbank.

We were given a tour and complete history by a charming man in overalls named Fred. He even went over the health benefits to eating whole grains vs. processed ones. I was completely blown away at the whole process of how flour was milled in the late 1800′s. The whole system is massive, yet so utilitarian and simple in design. There were huge belts that wrapped around all sorts of large gears and when the water tank was full all you had to do was turn a large wheel to open the water flow and the mill was off and running, at least until the tank emptied. It even powered some of the electricity. I kinda wanted one.

Cedar Grist Mill / Good Things Grow

Grain / Good Things Grow

Grain Bins / Good Things Grow

Cedar Grist Mill Flour / Good Things Grow

That day there were two different flours milled, soft wheat and hard red wheat. Other times they grind cornmeal as well. We crunched on the different wheat berries and the flavor was incredibly distinct between the two. The sacks of flour Fred handed out at the end were warm and really fragrant. For a small donation we each took home a bag of the soft wheat, which is considered perfect flour for pancakes or scone making. Fred mentioned that he himself enjoys a short stack several times a week. I think I know why he volunteers! I couldn’t resist taking the guy up on his pancake suggestion.

I’ve made many whole wheat pancakes before, but there was absolutely no mistake about the difference in taste when I used the freshly milled flour. I wish I had one of these mills closer by, because it makes such a difference. I added in some ground walnuts to the batter and topped them with warm brown butter apples. Perfect for the crisp mornings we’ve been having. Have you ever used freshly milled flour before? And what did you make?

Walnuts&Apples / Good Things Grow

River / Good Things Grow

Whole Wheat Walnut Pancakes / Good Things Grow

Whole Wheat Walnut Pancakes with Brown Butter Apple Cinnamon Compote / makes 8-10 pancakes

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup walnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs or 2 flax eggs (2T. flax meal mixed with 6T. water)
1 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons apple sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup

apple compote
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
big pinch cinnamon
maple syrup

Place the walnuts into a food processor and pulse until the walnuts just start to become flour-like. Don’t go too far or you’ll end up making walnut butter. Place the ground walnuts, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.

In another bowl whisk together the eggs, almond milk, apples sauce, and maple syrup. Pour into the dry mixture and whisk just until everything is wet. Let sit while you prepare the apples.

Start heating the pan you’re going to cook the pancakes on, that way it’s good and hot. In another large skillet or frying pan melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, watch (and smell) closely for little flecks of brown and a nutty smell. Once this happens add the apple slices in one layer, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and let sit for 4-5 minutes, or just until browned on one side. Flip and repeat on the other side and let it get golden. Lower heat and drizzle in a bit of maple syrup. Keep warm over a low heat until the pancakes are finished cooking.

Pour the pancake batter, about a quarter cup at a time, into the hot skillet. Cook until the edges are set and there are lots of air bubbles surfacing. Flip and cook until the other side is dark golden brown. Keep warm in the oven. Serve with the apple compote and more maple syrup.

Breakfast, Fall, Fruits, Grains, Vegan

Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce

A large box, overfilling with sweet, crisp apples, sat in my kitchen for the better part of this month. The first round was picked by Scott and I some time in late September. The second (much larger) round was dropped off by my parents, who were happy to have gotten so many before the deer did. All of this, from only the two trees on my parents property.

Their rosy red imperfect skins and intoxicating sweet floral smell greeted me each morning. I cut them into bite sized pieces and ate them in my oatmeal with cinnamon and maple syrup. Mid-afternoon snacks turned into slices with a smear of peanut butter or a chunk of cheese. I made this Dutch Appletaart again. I put them in salads. I chopped some up and lightly caramelized them to top off a stack of pancakes. But there were just too many to consume. I have no place to properly store this many apples before they start softening and eventually rotting. My solution, homemade applesauce.

Applesauce is nothing new, but it is really easy to make. It does take some time to peel the apples, but it passes faster than you think once your thoughts start to drift and you get into a rhythm. All you need, besides some time, is a good amount of apples, some liquid, a touch of lemon juice and a large pot to cook them in. Some people add in sugar, but choosing a great sweet apple should leave you with enough natural sweetness to not need any extra at all. Another option is to add in a cinnamon stick or two. I like to add a dash of cinnamon in when I eat it, but adding a stick of cinnamon as everything cooks down, infuses it with a cinnamon flavor more so than a strong cinnamon taste.

Another thing about applesauce that many may dispute is the texture. I love it smooth with absolutely no chucks of apple in my sauce. This may be because I disliked cooked chunks of apple (as in apple pie) when I was little. Maybe it’s because I grew up eating it smooth and it’s sort of a comfort thing now. Either way it’s your call on how much you decide to puree it because in the end it all tastes the same.

Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce / makes about 6 pints or 3 quarts

I used what I believe are Jonathan apples, but any good sweet apple, such as Gala or Fuji, will make some lovely applesauce. You can cut the ingredients below in half if you don’t want to make so much. To make more you’ll just need to do it in batches, unless you have several large stockpots. I made this batch about 3 times. I’ve been enjoying it topped with almond ginger granola in the morning and it’s like dessert for breakfast!

4-5 pounds apples, peeled and cored
1 1/2 cups water (optional fresh pressed apple juice instead of water)
juice of half a lemon

Place the prepared apples into a large stockpot (I was able to fit them all into a 6 qt pot). Pour in the water and juice from the lemon. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. I give the whole batch a good stir after about 20 minutes, so the apples at the top have a chance to soften up as much as the ones on the bottom.

After 30 minutes, the apples should have reduced into the pot by about a third. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes. Depending on how chunky you like your applesauce, you can either just mash everything down with a potato masher or, do as I did, and puree them in batched in your blender to the consistency you want. You could also probably use an immersion blender to do this too.

Pour into clean jars and store in your refrigerator for about a week. You can also can and freeze applesauce very easily to last much longer, just be sure to leave plenty of head room in your jars for expansion.

Breakfast, Desserts + Sweets, Fall, Fruits, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Blackberry Apple Pie

If you were to come over to my place right this very minute and open up my freezer, you’d find a whole lot of frozen berries in there. It seems to be a sort of ritual I have, where every summer I buy or pick berries here and there, and the remainder of what wasn’t eaten in a couple of days is instantly placed into the freezer, so they won’t go to waste. I love doing this because then I get to eat them all year long and they’re perfectly ripe and sweet and a reminder of summer when it’s long gone.

This little habit of mine was formed greatly in part because of my grandmother. She used to have the grand kids over in the summer when we were out of school, so we could help her berry pick. We had our secret spots and we’d come back with or bellies full of berries and our fingers and cheeks stained a deep purple/red color. Then she’d either bake up a berry pie or we’d top them over our vanilla ice cream.


Even though there are still plenty of fresh blackberries right now, the ones I used for this pie were frozen. I picked them right before leaving for the weekend and since they were so delicate and fresh I new they would be moldy by the time I returned if I left them unfrozen. The apples are the first I’ve seen at the market, a sure sign that fall is just around the corner, so I tossed them in with the blackberries, lemon, and a bit of sweetness from the brown sugar. I’ve made this same pie before, but closer to November and used orange zest and juice with equally amazing results. I opted for lemon this time because it just feels more summer time to me than orange.

Blackberry Apple Pie / serves 8-10

I used an all whole wheat pasty flour for this and the results were a success. I love how homey and earthy the whole wheat flour mingles with the blackberries and apples. It feels like something my grandma would have made. But if you have a favorite pie crust please feel free to use it.

I know pie making can be intimidating, mostly because of the crust. I tried to give clear instructions below as well as images above that clearly show the dough in each stage. Don’t worry if the dough cracks or comes apart as you’re rolling it out, it happens, I know it did to me. Just patch it back up and keep on going, once it’s filled and baked nobody will even notice; they’ll be to busy eating and asking for a second slice.

for pie crust
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cane sugar
8 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cubed
6-8 tablespoons ice cold water

for the filling
2-3 apples (depending on size) peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen unthawed blackberries
1/3 cup brown sugar
zest of one lemon
juice of half a lemon
1 egg beaten
cinnamon and sugar for dusting

Place the flour, salt, and sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times just to incorporate. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the dough starts forming pea sized bits. Add 6 tablespoons of ice water and process just until the dough starts coming together, it’s really important not to over work the dough. If it seems dry, add a tablespoon more water until you’re satisfied. Dump the still slightly crumbly dough onto a clean surface and gather it all up into a ball. Divide the ball in two equal pieces, wrap in plastic and set in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Dough can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated for two days or frozen for a month (defrost in fridge overnight if you had it in the freezer).

Place the apples, blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, and zest into a bowl and let sit while rolling out the pie crust.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Have a 9-inch pie dish ready.

Roll out each of the disks of dough, one at a time, on a lightly floured surface. Roll each to about a 12-inch circle. Place the first circle into the pie dish, making sure it fits into the edges, leaving the extra to hang over. Pour in the apple and berry mixture, then cover with the second circle of dough. Trim around the edge so the over hang is only about 1/2 an inch over. I like to roll this edge up as I press it together, then I crimp the edge for a good seal.

Brush the top with the egg yolk and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut 5 or 6 slits into the top of the dough, so you have some steam vents.

Place the pie in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. If your pie is browning to fast, cover it with a piece of foil. Allow the pie to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

Desserts + Sweets, Fall, Fruits, Grains