Recipe Revisit: Bakeapple Blossoms (with White Chocolate and Maple Fleur de sel)

An update on a crowd favourite!

A simple shortbread cookie filled with a slightly tart bakeapple filling.

Every now and then I look through some of the older recipes here on my blog and I am a little disappointed with how underwhelming some of the photos are.  Many of these recipes were posted well before hubby and I had decent camera gear and good photo editing software, hence the poor lighting, bad colour, and unsharp images.  And every time I look through those old posts, the Type A personality (the one I try so poorly to hide) nags at me incessantly to redo the photos on nearly every single recipe posted before 2011.  But there are so many new and exciting recipes out there to play with, that I really can't see myself going back and pouring over all of those old ones.  That being said, there are some of those old recipes I go back to time and time again because they are crowd pleasers, old favourites, or just downright delicious :)

One of the most popular recipes on Sweet Treats by Dani is #51) Bakeapple Blossoms and its one I make over and over and over again.  I originally posted the recipe back in 2009 - before hubby was officially hubby, before our little cookie monster was even on our radar, before our first mortgage, and before decent camera gear and photo software.  It has always bothered me that such a unique and popular recipe had such mediocre pictures, so I gave Ms. Type A her own way this time.  I whipped up a new batch, put on some finishing touches, and snapped some new and improved pictures.  What do you think?

Then

Now

Bakeapple Filling

Ingredients

1 cup bakeapples
1/4 cup water
7 tbsp sugar (adjust according to the tartness of your berries)
2 tsp corn starch

Steps

-Boil berries with 3/4 of the water. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
-Push the cooked berries through a fine sieve, discarding the seeds.
-Whisk corn starch into remaining water. Add cornstarch mixture and sugar to berries.
-Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Let cool completely.

Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/8 cup butter, softened 
2/3 cup sugar 
1 tsp vanilla 
2 cups flour 

Steps

- Combine butter, sugar and extract in mixer bowl and beat until creamy. 
- Add the flour, scraping often until well mixed. 
- Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Work together with hands upon removing from refrigerator.
- Heat oven to 350°F. 
- Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place them on silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. 
- Use a tsp measure to make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
- Fill the indentation with a small dollop of your fruit filling.
- Bake for 14 - 18 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. 
- Place cookies in wire rack and cool completely.

*Drizzle with melted white chocolate and add a sprinkle of maple fleur de sel, if desired.

Printable Recipe :)

#68) Creamy Cheesecake

You feel neglected, I understand. No, you're right, I haven't been paying enough attention to you. I have been very distant lately.

Well folks, I have been away so long because I have found that living alone means I am responsible for eating anything and everything that is baked in my apartment, and with a wedding coming up that probably isn't a good idea!

However, I braved that Trans-Labrador highway this weekend to spend Thanksgiving with my man :) and we had a great turkey dinner with some friends. You know what that means, right? I had a perfect excuse to make some dessert!!!

So here it is - the creamiest cheesecake you will ever eat. My end result was very creamy, almost too creamy, but I think I know where I went wrong. First of all, I think I should have baked it a little longer than I did. I took it out after a respectable amount of time, but I did not take into consideration that the seal is gone on fiance's oven... Result - an almost runny centre. But, the guests still ate it and really enjoyed it... So much so that the whole 10" cake is gone! But I think the bakeapple sauce helped :)


Ingredients

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

2 (8-ounce) packs cream cheese, softened (I used light)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups sour cream (I used fat free)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Steps

-Preheat oven to 350º.

-Mix together first three ingredients. Press into bottom of a greased 10" springform pan and up about 1" along the sides. Let sit in fridge while making the filling.

-Beat cream cheese until smooth.

-Add eggs, one at a time.

-Gradually add sugar.

-Stir in sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla.

-Pour into crust-lined pan.

-Place a dish of water on the bottom rack of the oven to stop your cheesecake from drying out and cracking.

-Bake for 1 hour. The middle should be slightly jiggly.

-Let cool in pan for 30 minutes then move to fridge for several hours, overnight if possible.

-Enjoy!

#54) Mini Bakeapple Lava Cakes

We are invited out for Easter dinner today so, as usual, I took on the role of "dessert maker." The friend hosting dinner is the very same friend who recently gave me some bakeapples. I thought it only appropriate to make a divine dessert with these tart berries for the evening. I wanted to do a simple cake, nothing too fancy, because I am still in the experimenting stages with bakeapples and do not want to pair it with the wrong flavours. (As I have mentioned before, there are virtually no recipes written for bakeapples so it is all experimentation for me!). Then I thought, wouldn't it be cute to give everyone their very own dessert? Of course! So I divided the batter into my jumbo muffin pan and got these adorable little cakes. Slice them in half, pack some berry filling, and presto - individual desserts! I know many of your do not have access to bakeapples, or even know what they are, but I can tell you that this sponge cake paired with a raspberry or blueberry filling would be amazing! Play with it :)

Happy Easter!!!

Sponge Cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
3 eggs, room temperature (beaten)
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp flour

Steps

-Cream butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until the mixture is pale in colour and light and fluffy.
-Add beaten eggs, a teaspoon at a time, beating well after each addition.
-Sift flour and salt and carefully add to the mixture, folding in with a metal spoon or spatula.
-Bake in greased pan(s) for 25-30 minutes, until golden and pulling away from sides.
-Let cool completely, cut in half (if applicable), and add filling*.
-Dust with icing/caster sugar.

*Berry Filling

Ingredients

2 cups raspberries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1.5 tbsp cornstarch

Steps

-Bring berries and 1/3 cup water to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
-Strain the berry mixture and return to heat.
-Add cornstarch to remaining water. Whisk into berry mixture.
-Add sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.
-Cool completely.

#51) Bakeapple Blossoms

Click here for an update on this recipe :) - June 3rd, 2016.



I know, I've been away a while, eh? Well, with finishing up my internship and last weekend's wedding show get-away, I haven't spent that much time in the kitchen. But with yesterday being the last day of my internship I thought maybe I should bring in some treats as a thank you to the staff. I didn't want to make anything too fancy because I didn't have a lot of time, so I decided to make some scratch shortbread. But that wasn't enough - they needed something more. So I took out a bag of bakeapples given to me by a good friend and made some of my no-fail berry cake filling, sieved out the seeds, and poured in into indentations in the shortbread. The result was exactly what I was going for - a simple treat with a interesting twist. They were huge hit and will stay in my back pocket now as a go-to recipe :) The cake filling can be replaced with any fruity preserve you like, but if you have access to bakeapples I would give 'em a try!!!

Bakeapple Cake Filling

Ingredients

1 cup bakeapples
1/4 cup water
7 tbsp sugar (adjust according to the tartness of your berries)
2 tsp corn starch

Steps

-Boil berries with 3/4 of the water. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
-Push the cooked berries through a fine sieve, discarding the seeds.
-Whisk corn starch into remaining water. Add cornstarch mixture and sugar to berries.
-Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Let cool completely.

Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients

1 1/8 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour

Steps

- Combine butter, sugar and extract in mixer bowl and beat until creamy.
- Add the flour, scraping often until well mixed.
- Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Work together with hands upon removing from refrigerator.
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place them on silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Use a tsp measure to make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
- Fill the indentation with a small dollop of your fruit filling.
- Bake for 14 - 18 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
- Place cookies in wire rack and cool completely.

#37) Old Faithful Banana Loaf

This time-tested sweet treat is the continuation of my banana bake-off. I searched high and low for a "new" banana loaf recipe, bit not one seemed as reliable or as tasty as this one. Enjoy it with some butter, fruit sauce, or even peanut butter, and it always tastes good :) (It is pictured above with bakeapple syrup - what a combo!)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed banana
2 cups flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon

Steps

-Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13 baking dish.
-Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, banana, and milk. Mix well.
-Stir together dry ingredients and add to banana mixture in three additions. Beat until combined.
-Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

#33) IronCupcake:Earth Wine, to Toast the New Year - Bakeapple & Bubbly Cupcakes with White Chocolate Champagne Frosting

A long title, I know... but these cupcakes are multi-dimensional and therefore warrant a wordy introduction.

This is my first official entry to ICE so I am very excited to be a part of this great blogging activity for the first time :)

Our January ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

DOGBONE ART - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=22042
as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!
As an added bonus for January, our friend at SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in another treat as well, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. NEW, BEGINNING IN JANUARY; our new friends at UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/ will be providing our winner with one of their cute cupcake attitue t's! Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

My cupcake creation is a light and delicate treat topped with a wonderful swirl of melt-in-your-mouth white chocolate frosting. The champagne undertones are complimented nicely by the bitter but subtle bite of the bakeapples. It is a sweet treat that elevates the everyday cupcake to a more elegant and refined class!

Bakeapple & Bubbly Cupcake

Ingredients

2 egg whites
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup champagne
1/4 cup bakeapple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Steps

-Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin tray with paper cups.
-Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
-Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined.
-Stir together champagne, bakeapple syrup, and vanilla. Add to butter mixture.
-Add flour, baking powder, and salt to mixture and beat until well combined.
-Gently fold in egg whites.
-Divide between 12 muffin cups.
-Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

White Chocolate Champagne Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp white chocolate
1 3/4 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup champagne
1/2 tsp bakeapple syrup
6 tbsp butter

Steps

-Melt chocolate in double boiler. Let cool to room temperature.
-Mix together icing sugar, champagne, and bakeapple syrup. Add butter and beat until smooth.
-Add cooled chocolate and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
-Pipe on cooled cupcakes.

#31) Cheesecake Bars with a Bakeapple Swirl

It is Christmas Day - can you believe it? I certainly can't!!!

Christmas Eve or not, yesterday I still got in to the kitchen :)

My bf's (actually my "fiance" considering he proposed this morning!!!) mom sent me a few bakeapples along with the presents with the hopes I would make her boy a bakeapple cheesecake. Well, a plain cheesecake with a simple bakeapple sauce didn't sound like enough fun for me so I decided squares with a sweet but bitter
bakeapple swirl would be more interesting... I hope you agree :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Bakeapple Swirl Sauce

Ingredients

2 cup bakeapples (fresh or thawed)
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Steps

- Bring berries and water to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Pass through a sieve to remove the large seeds. Return to pot.
- Add sugar and vanilla and bring to a boil once again. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Let cool and set aside.

Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

1 cup butter, separated into 2/3 cup and 1/3 cup
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 pks cream cheese (light), at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
4 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs

Steps

- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Beat 2/3 cup butter with brown sugar. Add flour and crumbs.
- Remove 2 cups and put in another bowl. Add the remaining butter (melted) to the new bowl. Mix and push into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Beat in milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until smooth.
- Pour half of cream cheese mixture over cooled crumb crust. Add tablespoon-sized dollops of bakeapple sauce. Pour remaining cream cheese mixture over top and add dollops of bakeapple sauce (reserve remaining sauce for decoration). Use a toothpick to create swirls.



- Sprinkle crumb mixture over top. (I didn't use all of it and the fiance said he would actually prefer it without any next time)
- Bake for one hour. Let cool completely before cutting. Drizzle sauce over top of individual squares.

#22) Buried Bakeapple Bites

I have had two bags of bakeapples left in the freezer since the summer and have wanted to use them, but every time I got into the kitchen (which hasn't been much as of late) a new recipe would intrigue me and it was "so long bakeapples." Last night I started toying with the idea of a bakeapple cupcake... I don't know how many of you use bakeapples, but anyone who does will know there aren't many recipes written for them, and most of the ones that are just turn them into a sauce or a topping for cheesecake. I wanted to do something new so I made a small recipe of bakeapple cake filling and let it chill overnight. Then it was time to bury it... :) I used the left-over cream cheese frosting from a previous recipe found here. The spice of the nutmeg with the tang of the berry filling is such a unique combination you will eave your taste buds begging for more :)

PS - Classes are almost over and exams soon begin, but after that it's home to Mom & Dad's and back into the kitchen... There will be more frequent posts as Christmas draws nearer!!!

Bakeapple Cake Filling

1 cup bakeapples
1/4 cup water
5 tbsp sugar
3 tsp corn starch

-Boil berries with 3/4 of the water. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.
-Push the cooked berries through a fine sieve, discarding the seeds.
-Whisk corn starch into remaining water. Add cornstarch mixture and sugar to berries.
-Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Let cool completely.

Cupcakes

3 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup milk (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp bakeapple preserve (optional)

*I wanted this recipe to have a rustic type flavour, so I kept the mixer in the cupboard and just used some old fashioned elbow grease to mix everything together :)

-Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pan with paper liners.
-Lightly beat eggs.
-Add butter and sugar and mix.
-Add milk, flour, baking powder, and preserve (if using). Mix.
-Add a couple of tablespoons of batter to each liner.
-Divide cake fill into liners.
-Cover with remaining batter.
-Bake for 18-20 minutes.
-Let cool and frost with icing, if desired.

#10) Bakeapple Muffins with Streusel Topping

School starts soon and that means my baking time will be drastically decreased... But you all know what that means, right? As much baking as possible before September 4 LOL. I still had some bakeapples left in the freezer when I went in search of a sweet treat main ingredient today, so I decided to make some muffins, and what makes a tasty muffin even better???? Streusel topping of course. Dig in!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg + 1 egg white
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp sour cream
1 1/2 cup berries

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Steps:

-Thaw berries, if frozen.
-Preheat oven to 425°F and spray muffin tin(s) with non-stick spray.
-Stir together flour, sugars, salt, and baking powder.
-In a small boil whisk together oil, egg, milk, and sour cream. Add to dry ingredietns with as few strokes of the spatula as possible.
-Fold in berries.
-Using a 1/4-cup measure, fill muffin tin(s) to the top.
-In a bowl mix together the brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over muffin tin(s).
-Bake for 20-25 minutes

*Makes about 18 muffins
*Be sure not to add too many berries... The muffins will not bake properly.

#8) Bakeapple Bars

As part of our vacation, the bf and I spent some time in southern Labrador with the "in-laws." While we were there we spent a day picking bakeapples. It was my first time tasting bakeapples and I fell in love a little... Okay, let's be honest, I fell in love a lot. I like mixing them with sugar for toast well enough, but these berries are too good not to bake with. This sweet treat is my own spin on blueberry squares, so you can use practically any berry you like. Don't let the length of the ingredients scare you - this recipe is simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar, divided in half cups
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp cornstarch
4 cups berries

Steps:

-Preheat oven to 375°F.
-Grease a 9x13 pan.
-Stir together 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, flour, and baking powder. Add salt and cinnamon.
-Beat egg with vanilla. Add to flour mixture.
-Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender. The mixture will be crumbly.
-Pat down half the dough into the pan.
-Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in berries.
-Spread berry mixture over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over top.
-Bake for 50 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

*The smell of the the bakeapples baking is enough to make you hungry :)
*A scoop of ice cream over top makes this sweet treat even tastier!