CINNAMON-APPLE CAKE

CINNAMON-APPLE CAKE Made 27 Oct ‘08 JULIA CRUMLEY

1-¾ cups sugar, divided
½ cup stick margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 ozs block-style cream cheese, softened (about ¾ cup)
2 large eggs
1-½ cups all-purpose flour
1-½ teasp baking powder
¼ teasp salt
2 teasp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
3 cups chopped peeled apples (about 3 good sized apples and I do not peel, but put in food processor and chop - just take the core out and start chopping - the peeling is actually very good for you)
½ cup nuts, chopped
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat 1-½ cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Combine ¼ cup sugar, cloves and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablesp cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife.

NOTE: You can also make this cake in a 9-inch spring form pan, just reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes.

NOTE BY JULIA: I have a convection oven and the cake is finished in 1 hour. I would advise you watch it to see when it is done. Also I’ve made a caramel topping to put on top of each slide just before serving - totally delicious.

Yield: 12 servings.

CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS

CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS Made 6 Sep ‘08 JULIA CRUMLEY

Espresso spread:
4 ozs cream cheese, cubed
1 Tablesp sugar
½ Tsp instant coffee granules
½ Tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate chips)

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2-½ Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp ground cinnamon
½ Tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 Tablesp instant coffee granules
½ cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 Tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (again I use milk chocolate)

In a food processor or blender, combine the spread ingredients; cover and process until well blended. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir milk and coffee granules until coffee is dissolved. Add butter, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Folk in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve with espresso spread.
YIELD: about 14 muffins (1 cup spread).

DELICIOUS