August 25, 2012
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (recipe coming soon)

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (recipe coming soon)

July 20, 2012 • applepiepatispate.com

Sour Cherry Cake

Cake Batter (base):

  • 250 gr flour
  • 140 gr butter/margarine, room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 70 gr powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tbsp bread crumbs (fine and plain) or Semolina flour

Cake Batter (top):

  • 5 eggs, separate the egg whites from the egg yolk
  • 210 gr sugar
  • 110 gr flour
  • 90 gr butter, melted

Fruit:

  • Sour Cherries, very well drained if using canned ones. About 4 cups should be a good amount.

For the base batter, mix the butter/margarine (whatever you choose to use) in a large bowl, for a bit, then add the powdered sugar. Mix until it forms a creamy texture, then add the egg, mixing again until you reach the texture of a cream. Once your cream is ready, add the baking soda and make sure it is well blended into the cream, then add the flour, bit by bit, while mixing it slowly. Once all the flour has somewhat blended in, turn up the speed of the mixer and keep mixing until it looks like everything’s well done (by this time your mixer should have picked up everything sticking to the side of your bowl). Set aside. Grease your baking sheet all over (even the sides) with butter, and spread your batter, evenly, across the baking sheet. Set aside, and prepare your top batter, trying to move a bit faster so the other batter doesn’t sit for too long. In a clean, large bowl, beat the whites until firm, add the sugar and beat again until firm and forming peaks (check the link by the posting date for an example). Switch the mixer to the lowest speed, add the sugar, slowly, then the melted butter, then the flour. Please do this in steps and slowly. Once all the ingredients are in, mix until everything is well blended, and set aside. Bake the base batter that you have ready in your baking sheet, at 350 Degrees F. for about 5-7 minutes, or until you can see it’s risen a bit, but it definitely isn’t cooked. Take it out and quickly sprinkle the bread crumbs over the base, spread, evenly, the sour cherries, and then the top batter. Place back in the oven for another 25-30 minutes, turning your baking sheet half way through. You can do the toothpick trick to test if it’s done, and then just let it cool on the counter top.

Tips:

  • If you do not have Confectioner’s sugar/Icing sugar at home, just grind some granulated sugar with a coffee grinder and sift it before using.
  • If you’re having trouble with separating the eggs, the easiest method I’ve found so far is cracking the egg in your palm and letting the whites fall into the bowl. This helps prevent your egg yolk from ripping from the sharp egg shell edges. 
  • I can never take this cake out of the sheet because the bottom part is a bit crumbly and it’s really hard to spread it over a parchment paper, so I just cut it right there in the baking sheet. 
  • Best to cut this cake into squares.
July 14, 2012
Appetizers! Everyone’s favorites, aside from dessert of course… Tips: If you want variety because you’re not quite sure what would be more successful or what your guests prefer best, I recommend placing all your appetizers on a large dish, but small quantities. This way, everyone will feel shy to take too much of one type and they will therefore avoid filling up on appetizers only, which leaves you with too many leftovers of the main meal. If you don’t have too many choices in your fridge, just play with some ideas, for example, say you only have cheese and vegetables! Slice up some cheese and sprinkle with some pepper to give it some extra gusto and maybe display them as kabobs mixed with your veggies, or stick your veggies in some hummus (or just nicely organize them…) in a bowl in the middle of a plate and place your cheese around. Just have fun playing with your food like you always wanted to when you were a kid. Now you have an excuse!

Appetizers!

Everyone’s favorites, aside from dessert of course…

Tips:

  • If you want variety because you’re not quite sure what would be more successful or what your guests prefer best, I recommend placing all your appetizers on a large dish, but small quantities. This way, everyone will feel shy to take too much of one type and they will therefore avoid filling up on appetizers only, which leaves you with too many leftovers of the main meal.
  • If you don’t have too many choices in your fridge, just play with some ideas, for example, say you only have cheese and vegetables! Slice up some cheese and sprinkle with some pepper to give it some extra gusto and maybe display them as kabobs mixed with your veggies, or stick your veggies in some hummus (or just nicely organize them…) in a bowl in the middle of a plate and place your cheese around. Just have fun playing with your food like you always wanted to when you were a kid. Now you have an excuse!
July 9, 2012 • 4 notes

Vanilla Cupcakes


Cupcakes:

  • 1 3/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream:

  • 1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 6 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, mix, on low speed, together the 2 flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Once well combined, add the butter (cut into 1-inch cubes) until well coated with flour. Set aside and get a small bowl or large cup and whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Getting back to the large bowl, set your mixer to medium and slowly add the liquid mixture of eggs and etc. into the solid mixture. (make sure you scrape down the sides). Beat until well blended but be careful not to over beat. Set aside while you prepare your pan with cupcake liners and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. With an ice cream scooper, divide the batter evenly into the liners and fill only 2/3, leaving space for the cupcakes to rise. Bake (rotating the pan once half done to even the temperature) for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cupcake. Once done, place on a wire rack to cool while you start working on the icing!

In a medium bowl, cream the butter (at room temperature) until smooth (starts to turn whiter) for about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the 5 cups of sugar, leaving 1 cup for the end. Add the milk and the vanilla too and keep mixing until fluffy. At the end, add the last cup of sugar if you want it sweeter, if not don’t worry about it. Once your cupcakes are completely cool, decorate them with the buttercream, and enjoy!


  • For more colorful designs, save 1/4 of the buttercream and add some food coloring of your choice or sprinkle some chocolate shavings on top or sprinkles.
  • To get my pink tone, I mixed about 5 drops of pink with 3 drops of green and 2 drops of purple, and sprinkled some coconut on top :-)
July 1, 2012
Cream of Broccoli Soup 2 tbsp butter 1 onion, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 3 cups chicken broth 8 cups broccoli florets 3 tbsp butter 3 tbsp all purpose flour 2 cups milk pepper to taste Melt the 2 tbsp of butter in a medium pot and saute the onion and celery until tender. Add the broccoli and the chicken broth, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher up to half way, no higher. Hold down the lid with a folded towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get some motion before switching to puree. Keep doing the same until smooth and pour into a clean pot. In a small saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter over medium heat, mix in the flour and the milk. Stir until thick and bubbly and then add to the soup. Season with the pepper and Enjoy! Tips: If you do not have a stationary blender, use an immersion blender and puree the soup directly in the pot.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 8 cups broccoli florets
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • pepper to taste

Melt the 2 tbsp of butter in a medium pot and saute the onion and celery until tender. Add the broccoli and the chicken broth, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher up to half way, no higher. Hold down the lid with a folded towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get some motion before switching to puree. Keep doing the same until smooth and pour into a clean pot. In a small saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter over medium heat, mix in the flour and the milk. Stir until thick and bubbly and then add to the soup. Season with the pepper and Enjoy!

Tips: If you do not have a stationary blender, use an immersion blender and puree the soup directly in the pot.

June 12, 2012 • youtube.com
Strawberry Syrup I found this recipe on youtube from a chef that I follow. I decided to try it since it is so very simple! These photos are of my results on my first try and I have to say it turned out quite amazing. I will most definitely be serving this syrup as an iced tea or soda drink when I have guests coming over! Enjoy For the recipe, follow the source link for youtube

Strawberry Syrup

I found this recipe on youtube from a chef that I follow. I decided to try it since it is so very simple! These photos are of my results on my first try and I have to say it turned out quite amazing. I will most definitely be serving this syrup as an iced tea or soda drink when I have guests coming over! Enjoy

For the recipe, follow the source link for youtube

June 11, 2012

White Bread

  • 3 cups flour (all purpose)
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp rapid-rise Yeast
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup warm water

In your food processor or a large bowl, mix in the flour, sugar, yeast and salt for about 10 seconds. Slowly add the warm water and mix until the dough starts to form into a ball. Continue processing until the dough is well kneaded, i usually slightly poke it and when it shapes back right away i consider it well done. Remove the dough on a lightly floured surface, cover with a towel and let rest for about 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 12x7 inches and start rolling it up, tightly, like in the photo. pinch the ends in to seal them. place the dough (seam side facing down) into a greased pan to fit its size (about 9x5 inches max). Cover with a thick towel or 2 thinner ones and place it in the most draft free area of your kitchen (make sure all windows and doors stay closed) and let the dough rise for about 1 hour, max 1 hour and a half (if you want your bread to have a nice design you can do it either now so it becomes bigger as the bread rises or after it has risen, I did it before). Make an egg wash and brush it over the top of your loaf (this is optional) before placing in the oven (375 degrees F.). it took my bread about 25-30 minutes to bake (you’ll know it’s done not only by the color but also when it makes a hollow sound when tapping it with a knife) Once done, remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Tips: If you don’t have a wire rack you can use a wooden cutting board and don’t bag the bread until it is completely cool.

June 11, 2012
Sweet Potato Fries with Greek Salad on the side 1 large sweet potato 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Italian seasoning to taste Seasoning salt to taste Start by peeling your potato and then rinsing it. Pat it dry a bit and, if it is a longer type of potato, cut it in half across the middle so your wedges will be shorter (this is of course optional). Now slice your potato in about 2cm wide pieces, just under an inch, and again into 1.5 to 2 cm wedges (sweet potatoes shrink a bit more than regular potatoes). Once finished, place all your wedges into a medium bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and mix well, then add the salt and seasoning and mix until all the wedges are pretty well coated. Preheat your oven at about 475 degrees F. and while you wait for it to warm up, take out a baking sheet, line it with tin foil, and evenly spread the sweet potato fries across, trying not to overlap any pieces. Once the oven is ready, place the baking sheet with the fries in. It took me about 10 to 15 minutes but because everyone’s potato fries are cut slightly different and their ovens might be fancier than mine, it’s best to just check how well they are done. Do so by flipping them over and if the edges are starting to brown up, maybe give it a few minutes under the broil before taking it out. Sweet potatoes are also much softer than regular ones so they may not be crispy and you will be able to easily run your fork through them when they are ready. Tips: Sweet potatoes are said to be a good source of Vitamin C and B6 They contain Vitamin D which makes this delicious potato a natural sun screen! Although this shouldn’t be used as an excuse to avoid using actual sun screen lotion! A good source of iron and magnesium

Sweet Potato Fries with Greek Salad on the side

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Italian seasoning to taste
  • Seasoning salt to taste

Start by peeling your potato and then rinsing it. Pat it dry a bit and, if it is a longer type of potato, cut it in half across the middle so your wedges will be shorter (this is of course optional). Now slice your potato in about 2cm wide pieces, just under an inch, and again into 1.5 to 2 cm wedges (sweet potatoes shrink a bit more than regular potatoes). Once finished, place all your wedges into a medium bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and mix well, then add the salt and seasoning and mix until all the wedges are pretty well coated. Preheat your oven at about 475 degrees F. and while you wait for it to warm up, take out a baking sheet, line it with tin foil, and evenly spread the sweet potato fries across, trying not to overlap any pieces. Once the oven is ready, place the baking sheet with the fries in. It took me about 10 to 15 minutes but because everyone’s potato fries are cut slightly different and their ovens might be fancier than mine, it’s best to just check how well they are done. Do so by flipping them over and if the edges are starting to brown up, maybe give it a few minutes under the broil before taking it out. Sweet potatoes are also much softer than regular ones so they may not be crispy and you will be able to easily run your fork through them when they are ready.

Tips:

  • Sweet potatoes are said to be a good source of Vitamin C and B6
  • They contain Vitamin D which makes this delicious potato a natural sun screen! Although this shouldn’t be used as an excuse to avoid using actual sun screen lotion!
  • A good source of iron and magnesium
June 9, 2012
Vegetable Omelette 1-3 tbsp vegetable oil (add 1 tbsp for starters and more if you need to later on) 2 eggs 1 carrot, sliced/diced 1 potato, cut in small cubes 1 red/green pepper, diced 1 green onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, cut in small slices salt and pepper to taste ketchup (optional) Fetta cheese, grated (optional) Add the oil to a deeper frying pan and turn the stove to high. When the oil is nice and hot, turn the heat to low-medium (about a 2 or a 4) and add the diced potatoes and carrots and cover, stirring occasionally. Once the potatoes are about half cooked (you can run your fork through them with some resistance) add the diced pepper and chopped green onion, mix and cover again. When the potatoes are done (you can run your fork through them very easily) add the sliced garlic and mix, cover for about a minute, during which time you can scramble the 2 eggs in a small bowl, mix in the salt and pepper, and then pour over the vegetables, stirring constantly so it won’t burn. Turn up the heat to medium-high and once the eggs are as well done as you prefer, remove from the stove and serve on a platter. Enjoy! Tips: If you feel like you need something acidic or sweet with the omelette, add some ketchup on the side or drizzle it over the omelette. If you are a cheese lover, grate some Fetta on top right before you dig in.

Vegetable Omelette

  • 1-3 tbsp vegetable oil (add 1 tbsp for starters and more if you need to later on)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 carrot, sliced/diced
  • 1 potato, cut in small cubes
  • 1 red/green pepper, diced
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, cut in small slices
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ketchup (optional)
  • Fetta cheese, grated (optional)

Add the oil to a deeper frying pan and turn the stove to high. When the oil is nice and hot, turn the heat to low-medium (about a 2 or a 4) and add the diced potatoes and carrots and cover, stirring occasionally. Once the potatoes are about half cooked (you can run your fork through them with some resistance) add the diced pepper and chopped green onion, mix and cover again. When the potatoes are done (you can run your fork through them very easily) add the sliced garlic and mix, cover for about a minute, during which time you can scramble the 2 eggs in a small bowl, mix in the salt and pepper, and then pour over the vegetables, stirring constantly so it won’t burn. Turn up the heat to medium-high and once the eggs are as well done as you prefer, remove from the stove and serve on a platter. Enjoy!

Tips: If you feel like you need something acidic or sweet with the omelette, add some ketchup on the side or drizzle it over the omelette. If you are a cheese lover, grate some Fetta on top right before you dig in.

June 9, 2012 • 1 note
Bruschetta Salad on a Toasted Baguette Salad: 10 ripe tomatoes, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice a handful of basil leaves, chopped salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional) Baguette: 1 French bread baguette 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil In a medium/large bowl, combine together all of the salad ingredients and mix. If your tomatoes seem to be very juicy, drain them a little in a baking sifter, right after dicing, and leave there until you finish getting the rest of your ingredients ready. Once finished with the salad, cover with plastic wrap (make sure you press the wrap down until it touches the surface of your salad) and store in the fridge for at least one hour before serving. For the baguette, slice it in 1 inch slices and coat one side of each slice with the extra virgin olive oil. place on a baking sheet, oil side down, and toast in the oven at about 400 degrees F. until the edges turn golden brown. Tips: Serve the salad at room temperature and preferably in a separate bowl rather than on the baguette slices so they will not get soggy. It always helps to throw a few slices of olives on top. Enjoy!

Bruschetta Salad on a Toasted Baguette

Salad:

  • 10 ripe tomatoes, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • a handful of basil leaves, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

Baguette:

  • 1 French bread baguette
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a medium/large bowl, combine together all of the salad ingredients and mix. If your tomatoes seem to be very juicy, drain them a little in a baking sifter, right after dicing, and leave there until you finish getting the rest of your ingredients ready. Once finished with the salad, cover with plastic wrap (make sure you press the wrap down until it touches the surface of your salad) and store in the fridge for at least one hour before serving. For the baguette, slice it in 1 inch slices and coat one side of each slice with the extra virgin olive oil. place on a baking sheet, oil side down, and toast in the oven at about 400 degrees F. until the edges turn golden brown.

Tips: Serve the salad at room temperature and preferably in a separate bowl rather than on the baguette slices so they will not get soggy. It always helps to throw a few slices of olives on top. Enjoy!