German Applesauce Cake #BundtBakers

The tender crumb on this German Applesauce Cake reminds me of a buttery pound cake, but with raisins and pecans, making it perfect with a cup of tea. 

Whenever I see jars of applesauce on the grocery store shelves, I must confess that I wonder who is buying it. After all, applesauce has got to be the easy thing in the world to make. Just peel the apples, core, chop and cook down with a splash of lemon juice or water. Literally, that is the whole recipe and it doesn’t even take very long. 

The chopped apples turn to sauce in a matter of about 10 minutes or so. You can speed up the process by mashing them with a potato masher once they soften, if you are really in a hurry.  

Applesauce is a family favorite with roast pork at our house and sometimes even pork chops. The tart but naturally sweet applesauce complements the savory pork wonderful. If you haven’t tried that combination, please do! When we are in the UK, I use Bramley apples which are great for baking and cooking. If I am elsewhere, I use Granny Smiths.  

German Applesauce Cake

I made this cake using Simple Truth Organic Plant Based Egg Replacer. It’s a powder made from chia seeds and chickpeas aka garbanzo beans, specifically for recipes when eggs are a binding agent, for instance, baked goods and quick breads like pancakes or waffles. It's available from Kroger or online, if you are in the States. This recipe is adapted from one on My Patchwork Quilt. 

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

3/4 cup or 150g sugar 

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon or 78g shortening plus extra for the pan

2 medium eggs (or equivalent amount egg replacer)

1 1/8 cups or 290g homemade or store-bought applesauce

3/4 cup or 110g raisins

1/2 cup or 60g chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups or 187g flour, plus extra for the pan and raisins

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

For the cinnamon glaze:

1/3 cup or 41g powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 – 1  1/2 teaspoons water

Method 

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.

With electric beaters or in the bowl of your stand mixer, cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs (or egg replacement) and beat until light.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon and salt.

Add applesauce and dissolved baking soda alternately with dry ingredients.

Toss the raisins with a sprinkle of flour then fold in the raisins and chopped pecans.

Spoon batter into your prepared pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden and a wooden skewer comes out clean. If it starts browning too much before it's baked through, you can cover the top lightly with foil. 

Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes then turn the cake out to cool completely before glazing. 

To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Add water gradually till you reach drizzling consistency. 

Drizzle the cake with the cinnamon glaze. I also gave mine an extra pinch of cinnamon sprinkled on top. Because apples and cinnamon are best friends. 

Slice to serve.

Enjoy!

Amazingly, it’s already the third Thursday of the month – this summer is zipping by! – so it’s time for my Bundt Baker friends to share their recipes. Today’s theme is applesauce! Many thanks to Sneha of Sneha’s Recipe for the theme and our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for her behind the scenes work. Check out the recipes links below.

• All That’s Left Are The Crumbs: Amish Applesauce Bundt Cake
• Patyco Candybar: Applesauce Bundt with Caramel Glaze
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Applesauce Spice Cake
• Magical Ingredients: Caramel Coconut Apple Bundt Cake
• Passion Kneaded : Cinnamon Walnut Applesauce Bundt
• Food Lust People Love: German Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

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Marinated Tofu Zucchini Soft Tacos

These marinated tofu zucchini soft tacos are a tasty, easy meal the whole family will enjoy with just the right hint of smokiness and spice. 

These soft tacos make a wonderful dish for company because everyone can assemble their own, for a convivial meal around a big table. Everything can be made ahead and kept warm in a low oven so you won’t spend time cooking once your guests arrive.

A word about tofu: If you have only tried it in its natural state and are not a fan of the texture, give it another chance when pan-fried and crunchy. That was a game changer for me. Now I love it. 

Marinated Tofu Zucchini Soft Tacos

This recipe was inspired by one in the New York Times cooking section for grilled marinated tofu. Smoked paprika and cumin add the right flavors to make this the perfect vegetarian taco filling. 

For the tacos:

1 block (14 oz or 398g) extra firm tofu 

1 medium onion

2 medium zucchini

fine sea salt

12 corn tortillas

canola or other light oil for pan-frying

For the tofu marinade:

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small jalapeño seeded, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet

1/4 cup or 60ml lime juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Optional to serve:

Guacamole

Salsa

Sour cream

Refried beans

Sliced jalapeños

Chopped cilantro

Method

Drain and press the tofu for 1 hour.

Peel the onion and cut it into thick slices.

Cut the stems off the zucchini then cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the fluffy part with the seeds. Cut the zucchini into batons. 

Lightly salt the batons and set them in a colander to sweat and drain.

Combine the lime juice, minced garlic and jalapeño, Kitchen Bouquet, salt and set aside for a few minutes while you cut the tofu. 

Slice the tofu into pieces about 1/4 inch or 1/2cm. Place tofu pieces snugly in a deep dish. Spoon 3/4 of the marinade over the tofu, reserving 1/4 for the zucchini after it’s cooked. 

Refrigerate the tofu at least one hour or longer, turning it occasionally so it marinates evenly.

Heat a large non-stick frying skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle with a little oil. 

Scrape the garlic and jalapeño off of the tofu and back into the marinating pan and reserve. 

Add the tofu to the hot skillet and cook, turning frequently, until it is evenly browned and crisp on all sides. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your skillet. 

Transfer the tofu to an oven-proof pan.

In the same skillet, add 2 teaspoons each of paprika and cumin and the scraped off jalapeño and garlic. Drizzle a little oil in the pan to moisten the mixture and cook it for just a few minutes, until the jalapeño has softened. 

Spoon this over the tofu and put it in a very low oven to keep warm. 

Add the final 1/2 teaspoons each cumin and smoked paprika to the marinade you saved for the zucchini. 

Dry the zucchini batons on a paper towel then add them to the skillet and fry over a high heat until slightly charred. 

Turn the fire off and add the reserved marinade. Toss to combine, remove to a plate or bowl. 

Add the onion slices to the pan, cook until just soft and a little toasted, about 8 minutes. 

If desired, toast the tortillas on a griddle. 

Serve the marinated tofu zucchini soft tacos with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, refried beans, sliced jalapeños and/or chopped cilantro or your favorite taco toppings.

Let everyone assemble their own soft tacos. We really loved the flavor and smokiness of the tofu, as well as the crunch. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and our host Amy of Amy’s Cooking Adventures reminded us that August is all about a glut of fresh zucchini and everyone can use some creative recipes to use it up. Check out all the zucchini dishes we are sharing below. 

Couscous with Spiced Zucchini from Cook with Renu

Garlic Butter Sautéed Zucchini from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Keto Zucchini Balls In Creamy Tomato Gravy from Sneha’s Recipe

Marinated Tofu Zucchini Soft Tacos from Food Lust People Love

Minestrone Casserole from Palatable Pastime

Moong and Zucchini Pancakes from Mayuri’s Jikoni

Zucchini Agrodolce from Pandemonium Noshery

Zucchini Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Thank you to my email subscribers!

Just a little note to let you know that Google's Feedburner service has been terminated so I have migrated subscriber emails to follow.it as the feedburner replacement. Crossing my fingers it works! 

Meanwhile, if you are in the southern United States, it's hatch chili time! I'll have a couple of recipes using those delicious peppers coming up shortly. Please stand by!

Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin

Packed with fresh vegetables and feta with more Parmesan and cheddar on top, this flavorful Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin is a delicious dish to put in rotation when zucchini are in season.

This is an easy dish for a dinner party and if you have individual baking dishes to cook the gratin in, it makes a pretty presentation. If you don’t, just bake the mixture in a casserole dish. 

Mushroom  Leek Zucchini Gratin

For this dish, I used a combination of zucchini and yellow squash because 1. That’s what I had on hand and 2. I love the contrast in colors.  All of either would be just as delicious.  This recipe is adapted from one on Delicious.com.au.

Ingredients

2 lbs or 900g zucchini and/or yellow squash

2 leeks (about 11 2/3 oz or 330g whole, 5  1/3 oz or 150g after trimming)

8 oz or 227g button mushrooms, sliced

1 small red chili, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

7 oz or 200g feta, crumbled

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 egg

1 tablespoon canola or other light oil

1 3/4 oz or 50g grated extra sharp cheddar

1 3/4 oz or 50g grated Parmesan

Method

Grate all but two of the zucchini and put them in a clean teacloth and squeeze out excess liquid over the sink. Finely slice the other two. 

Remove and discard the hard green part of your leeks and wash the white parts thoroughly. Slice them thinly. Clean and slice the mushrooms. 

Heat the butter in a skillet over low heat and add leek, garlic and minced chili pepper and a good sprinkle of salt. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the leeks start to soften. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture. 

Continue cooking till that liquid has evaporated. Scrape the mixture into a large mixing bowl and leave to cool. 

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Once the mushroom/leek mixture has cooled, add in the grated zucchini with the lemon zest. Lightly season with salt and black pepper. Mix well until combined. 

Add in the egg and crumbled feta and stir again until well combined. 

Spoon the mixture into individual baking dishes or one large one. Toss the sliced zucchini with 1 tablespoon of oil and layer on top. 

Add a layer sprinkled cheese, then more sliced zucchini and finish with more cheese. 

Bake for 30 minutes in your preheated oven or until golden and bubbling.

Enjoy!

National Zucchini Day is next Monday, August 8th. How will you celebrate? May I suggest you make one of the lovely dishes my Foodie Extravaganza friends are sharing today? Check out the list below. Many thanks to our host, Juli of Pandemonium Noshery

• Hummus Bar Style Zucchini Topped Hummus by Pandemonium Noshery
• Keto Beef Mince with Broccoli and Zucchini by Sneha's Recipe
• Mushroom Leek Zucchini Gratin by Food Lust People Love
• Zucchini Agrodolce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Zucchini Fried Rice by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Zucchini Kofta Curry by Magical Ingredients

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.

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Crawfish Cornbread Muffins #MuffinMonday

Made with the bottom of the bag cracklin crumbs, extra sharp cheddar, onion and jalapeños, these tasty crawfish cornbread muffins are over the top cheesy, spicy and delicious. 

The last time I went to Louisiana to visit family, I happened to spy some cracklin crumbs in bags on the counter at one of the local butchers. I couldn’t resist buying them since the price was so good compared to the actual cracklin which has reached the astronomical price of more than $20 per pound. I pictured myself sprinkling it on things to add flavor, salt and spice, and so I have. 

 

But what I really wanted to do with it was make cornbread. I’m finally getting around to that!  And since I happened to have some crawfish in the freezer as well, that got added in too. Because why not? 

Crawfish Cornbread Muffins

If you can’t find cooked crawfish in the freezer section of your local stores, substitute shrimp. Also, I recommend baking these in silicone muffin cups. As you will see in the photos below, mine stuck on the bottom despite a generous brushing of the muffin pan with oil. If you don’t have cracklin crumbs, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the mix.

Ingredients

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced (about 5 oz or 140g)

1-2 fresh jalapeños, stemmed and finely chopped (deseeding optional)

1 cup or 180g yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup or 32g flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I use Slap Ya Mama since it’s lower in sodium than some of the other brands.)

3 eggs

1/3 cup or 80ml canola or other light oil, plus extra for sauté and muffin pans

4 oz or 113g extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/4 cups or 170g frozen corn, thawed

6 oz or 170g crawfish tail meat, roughly chopped

1/2 cup or 60g cracklin crumbs, optional, or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 350° F or 180°C. Grease 12 silicone muffins cups and put them in a muffin pan or on a large baking pan. 

Sauté the onion and jalapeños in a skillet with a drizzle of oil until softened. Set aside to cool. 

Stir the cornmeal, cracklin crumbs (if using), baking powder, salt and creole seasoning together in a large bowl. 

Add the grated cheese and stir to coat. 

Add the crawfish and stir to coat again. 

Add the corn and the onion/jalapeño mixture and stir to combine. 

Note: You will notice that you don’t see the onion and jalapeños in that photo. That is because I had already added the eggs and oil and then turned around to see them, all nicely cooled in their pan on the other side of the sink. So in reality they went in after the eggs but they sure would be mixed in more easily with the corn when all the ingredients were still relatively dry, which is what was meant to happen. 

In another bowl, whisk the eggs and oil together. Pour this into the muffin mixture and stir to combine. 

Divide the cornbread mixture into your prepared silicone muffins cups. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

This is the debacle you can expect if you don't use silicone muffin cups or liners. You have been warned! 

I must confess though that we used a spoon to scrape those stuck bits out and they were delicious and crunchy! They did not go to waste. 

Leave to cool for a few minutes, then release them from the silicone cups and leave on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm with extra butter, if desired. 

Enjoy!

It’s the last Monday of the month so that means it’s time for Muffin Monday! Check out the great muffins my friends are sharing below: 

• 4 Ingredient, Small Batch, Nutella Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Crawfish Cornbread Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• S'mores Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Sourdough Mango Banana Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

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