Fire Cider Tonic

I found this recipe in the April issue of Martha Stewart Living.  I decided to share with all my readers as I am a firm believer in apple cider vinegar (ACV), and tonics made with ACV as part of your daily diet.  Here's what MSL has to say about this wonderful tonic:  "Fire cider is a tangy, sweet vinegar infused with vegetables, herbs, spices, and honey. A popular herbal folk remedy, it is used as an anti-flammatory and digestion.stimulating tonic, and to boost natural health processes. A tablespoon of ground turmeric can be added with the honey for increased health benefits. Drink a one-to-two ounce shot daily, dilute some in seltzer or still water, or use it in place of regular vinegar for salad dressings."

Ingredients

1/2 c thinly sliced fresh ginger (from two 4-inch pieces)
1/2 c peeled, diced fresh horseradish (from a 5-inch piece)
1 head garlic, cloves smashed and peeled
3 sprigs rosemary
2 jalapeno or serrano chiles, halved lengthwise
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 small onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 lemon, cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 orange, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
2 cups raw, unfiltered apple-cider vinegar such as Bragg, plus more as needed
1/3 to 1/2 c honey, preferably raw and unfiltered

1. Place ginger and horseradish in the bottom of a 1-quart Ball jar or similar resealable glass container. Add garlic, rosemary, chiles, peppercorns, cinnamon, and onion; then add lemon and orange pieces, pressing down to firmly pack ingredients in.  Add vinegar, adding more as necessary to fully submerge ingredients and fill jar. Seal jar (if using a metal lid, place a piece of parchment between jar and lid to prevent a corrosive reaction with vinegar). Store in a cool, dark place, shaking for a few seconds every day or two, at least 3 weeks and up to 6 weeks.

2. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids, Stir in honey. Store in a sealed container in refrigerator up to 1 month.

To your good health!!

Apple Cider Donut Cake

Directions

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened

1 cups apple cider

1 T boiled cider

1/4 c unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste

For the Cider Glaze:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 cup water

1/4 cup apple cider

1 T boiled cider

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a bundt pan with baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Add the oil and mix well.  Add the applesauce and mix again. 

Stir together the apple cider, boiled cider and buttermilk.

In a separate bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves & cinnamon.

Add the flour mixture and apple/milk mixture alternatively in three additions, scraping the bowl as needed and mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat once more, just to combine.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the cake in its pan on a cooling rack for ten minutes. Turn out onto a plate and brush with glaze.

While cake is baking, prepare Cider Glaze. Melt butter, sugar and water over medium high heat. Bring mixture to a boil and let boil for 1-minute. Remove from heat and immediately add the ciders, stirring to combine.

Prepare the Cinnamon Sugar Coating. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the warm, glazed cake with cinnamon sugar, using fingers to rub it onto the sides of the cake, if necessary…I used a sugar shaker and it hits all sides of the cake perfectly.

 

Recipe adapted from Runcible Eats.

Enjoy!

Apple Cider Sangria

Very easy to prepare and oh so refreshing.  Just the drink you want to serve this time of year at a dinner party or Halloween gathering.  I recently hosted a Soup Night, and this was a real hit and paired perfectly with the menu.

Ingredients:

1/2 Gallon of good Apple Cider
1/3 Bottle Red Apple Schnapps
2  3" cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
2 red sweet apples (like Cortland), cored and cut into medium size chunks (feel free to add halved grapes, orange slices, maraschino cherries)
1/2 bottle Prosecco or white wine of your choice
Dried apple slices, optional

Best prepared 1 - 2 days before serving so the apples and liquid can marry.

Using a 1-gallon glass container, add the cider, Schnapps, cinnamon sticks, cloves & apple chunks (if using other fruits, add them at this time). Cover and refrigerate.  Just before serving, remove the cloves and add the Presecco or wine of your choice.  Fill wine glasses with ice and pour the Sangria over.  If you happen to have dried apple slices, one attached to the rim of the glass makes a perfect garnish.

Enjoy!

Autumn Apple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

 Topping

3 medium apples

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup light corn syrup

Cake

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped

·          

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13"x9" cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment.

Peeling and slice the apples into 1/4" thick wedges.

Place the apples in rows along the pan.

Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, boiled cider, cinnamon, and corn syrup together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture into the prepared pan, and set the rest aside.

To make the cake: Beat the oil, brown sugar, boiled cider, eggs, spices, and salt together for 2 minutes at medium speed

Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir it into the batter.

Add the chopped apple, and mix until just blended.

Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover.

Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven, and run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate, bottom side up. Scrape out any sauce that remains in the pan, and spread it over the cake.

Reheat the reserved topping. If butter starts to separate as you reheat, add water by the teaspoon and stir until the butter rejoins the rest of the sauce.

Pour the sauce over the cake. Serve cake warm or at room temperature. Recipe adapted from KAF.

Caramel Apple Blondie Pie With Apple Cider Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 large Granny Smith apples
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
• 1 cup butter, divided
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons bourbon or whiskey
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• 1/2 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated pie crusts

Preparation

1. Peel apples, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges. Toss with 2 Tbsp. flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a large bowl. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add apple mixture, and sauté 15 minutes or until apples are tender and liquid is thickened. Remove from heat; cool completely (about 30 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Melt remaining 3/4 cup butter. Stir together 1 1/2 cups flour and next 2 ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, bourbon, 3/4 cup melted butter, and remaining 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, stirring until blended. Stir in pecans.
3. Fit pie crust into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, gently pressing pie crust all the way up the sides of skillet. Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture over bottom of pie crust, spreading and gently pressing apple slices into an even layer using the back of a spoon. Spoon batter over apple mixture; top with remaining apple mixture.
4. Place pie on lower oven rack, and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven; cool pie completely on a wire rack.

1. Drizzle cooled pie with 1/3 cup Apple Cider Caramel Sauce. Serve with remaining sauce.

Apple Cider Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple cider (I used 1/3 C. bottled Boiled Apple Cider available at King Arthur Flour or Amazon.com)
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Preparation

1. Cook cider in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Refrigerate up to 1 week. To reheat, microwave at HIGH 10 to 15 seconds or just until warm; stir until smooth.

Recipe Featured in:

Southern Living
SEPTEMBER 2013

Photos property of Barbara Joyce Sheldon.

Fall into this wonderfully Autumnal Dessert!