The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Mrs. Frecon’s Apple Cake
“When the going gets tough, the tough get baking!” as they say. So, grab an apron, turn off the TV and turn on the oven. Baking’s not canceled. In fact, it may be just what we need.
“I think there’s always something very comforting about baking,” said pastry chef Holly Haas of Frecon Farms in Boyertown. “I find it so helpful and therapeutic to focus on this one task.”
Think of it as a form of mindfulness.
“For a few hours, you can get a rest from the craziness of the world and just be,” she explained. “It lets your brain relax.”
Baking also engages the kiddos while they’re home from school. Call it distance learning.
“You really have to pay attention to detail,” said chef Art Roman of The Kitchen Workshop in Paoli. “It does involve reading. It involves math. It involves following directions — big time.”
And “it might lead to a lifelong love of cooking or baking,” he added. Ready to benefit from some flour power? Try his easy peanut butter cake, Mrs. Frecon’s apple cake or a seasonal fruit crisp and “bake” things a little better.
As Haas said, “there’s nothing wrong with a sweet to reduce your stress for the rest of the day.”
Peanut Butter Cake
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
4 eggs, large
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons melted unsalted butter 1 (16.3-ounce) jar creamy peanut butter
For topping:
10 to 12 ounces goodquality milk chocolate 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Grease and flour a 15½-by-10½-by-1-inch jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet the same. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs in a large bowl until light and lemony in color, about 3 minutes. To same bowl, add all other ingredients and mix only until combined. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake for 10 minutes. Drop spoonfuls of peanut butter onto the warm cake and let it sit for a minute, it will melt and be really easy to spread. Put cake into the refrigerator and let it cool completely.
Topping: Melt chocolate with vegetable oil. Pour and spread over the cake. Let it cool until it is slightly hardened and slice into squares. Refrigerate until hardened. Makes 16 to 20 portions.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups fresh Frecon apples of your choice, diced
2 cups granulated sugar OR substitute 1 cup local honey
1⁄4 cup cooking oil OR substitute 3⁄4 cup Frecon applesauce 3 free-range eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Seasonal Fruit Crisp
Recipe courtesy of Frecon Farms
INGREDIENTS
Crisp topping:
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 orange) 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup old-fashioned oats
Filling:
5 cups diced seasonal fruit (apples, pears, Asian pears, etc.) 1 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄2 cup butter
3⁄4 cup applesauce
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
1⁄2 cup brown or maple sugar, firmly packed INSTRUCTIONS
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine sugars, flour, cinnamon and orange zest; mix well. Place sugar-flour mixture into mixing bowl equipped with a paddle attachment. Add butter and blend until it resembles a coarse meal. Mix in oats. Reserve. Place 1⁄3 of oat mixture into bottom of a wide 8-cup baking dish or into the bottoms of 8 individual baking dishes or ramekins. Top evenly with fruit to cover and top with remaining 2⁄3 of oat mixture. Bake 40 to 55 minutes or until tops are browned and filling is bubbling. Remove from heat and cool slightly before serving. Serve topped with ice cream. Yield: 8 (1-cup) servings.