Ok, on to the actual cooking!
This weekend I have pulled from an entirely different and unexpected historical source. I have been reading the Dear America diaries recently and found that on the Scholastic companion site for these books some of the recently re-released books have recipes to go along with the stories. Only one of the books I have read so far has recipes, but as they re-release books they have been adding to their site. You can check out all of their historical recipes here.
The book I read was Dear America: The Winter of Red Snow - The Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777 and the recipe I chose was Baked Apples. According to the Scholastic site, baked apples would only have been served during late summer or autumn, when apples, were readily available, but I couldn't wait that long!
Baked Apples
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 large apples
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup currants or raisins
1 Tablespoon butter
¾ cup boiling water
Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the apples and remove the cores to 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples. Use a spoon to dig out any seeds. Make the holes about an inch wide.
2) In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and currants/raisins. Place the apples in an 8" by 8" baking pan. Stuff each apple with the sugar mixture. Top each apple with 1/4 tablespoon of butter. Add the boiling water to the baking pan.
3) Bake the apples for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Remove the apples from the oven and baste the apples several times with the pan juice.
4) Serve warm with vanilla ice cream on the side.
I would recommend the 40 minutes if you use large apples as at 30 minutes they were only soft for about half of the apples. I also have always been taught to remove a peel of skin from around the entire apple to prevent them from exploding when they expand, and although this recipe didn't say to do that, their picture on the site looked like they did, so I did anyway. And of course I forgot to buy ice cream so I was a little disappointed, but the apples were still great themselves.
A great quick and relatively healthy snack option for you and your family.
Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Any post remotely related to cooking can participate.
Copyright © 2012 by The Maiden’s Court
I love baked apples, and I don't blame you for not waiting until the fall. Really, who could wait 6 months? I too always peel the top half of my apples before baking. That's how my grandmother taught me.
ReplyDeleteI love that Scholastic has made the recipes available. Wow.
That's what my grandmother taught me too. I don't know if it really does anything, but it is at least a tradition!
DeleteI too love that Scholastic offers these recipes too.
I LOVE recipes that go with books that I am reading...I like the way that the two immerse you in a whole experience... So, thanks for telling me about the Scholastic site. The baked apple looks really good! I make them sometimes, but did not know about peeling the top, which seems like a good idea :)
ReplyDeleteIt really does give you more of a total experience and a different connection with the novel.
DeleteDelicious sounding and looking! I will save this one. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe currants were a great addition to, to the type I normally have.
DeleteThat looks so delicious! We might also be in the right season to eat it!
ReplyDeleteIt is so much better when the fruit is in season!
DeleteWill make these for sure! And thanks so much for the link to historical recipes! Here is my Irish Boxty
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what an Irish Boxty is! I will have to check it out!
DeleteYou know, I don't think I've ever had baked apples -- but it sounds like I really need to change that!
ReplyDeleteYou will have to try them!
DeleteHey chica! No sweat on the commenting thing. I SO totally get it! Baked apples and ice cream? I'm sold! Thanks for the recipe :)
ReplyDeleteI know, right?! Great combination!
DeleteMy daughters have read several of those Dear Diary books from Scholastic over the years in late elementary school. Really a wonderful way to teach history to budding readers!
ReplyDeleteI love baked apples and would eat them anytime of the year, myself! :)
It is such a great resource - I'm glad that they are reissuing the books.
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