Category Archives: apples

Jack is Cooking Pannekoeken with Apples

Posted on by under apples, butter, cinnamon, flour, milk, nutmeg, rum, sugar

Well Hello Internet!

Pancakes are one of my favorite things, in fact just last night i had a fantastic dream about blueberry pancakes, filled to the brim with blueberries in a way that is only possible in a dream.  This is a recipe for apple pancakes, called Pannekoeken due to its Dutch nature.  It would be possible to make this with almost any fruit, the spices can be adjusted accordingly.

Fresh out of the oven

The first time i ate a pancake like this was in Amsterdam, and have always wanted to make them at home.  It is almost easier than regular pancakes, but it involves the oven.  The batter is very different from american pancakes, and is basically just a sweet version of yorkshire pudding – or a popover.

delicious caramelized apples

You will need a skillet that can go on the stove, and in a hot oven.  Cast Iron is good, or something that is all metal and won’t melt.  Nothing with a rubber grip basically.

Here’s what you will need:

4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

1 apple of your choice
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon dark rum

Preheat oven to 450°

1.  In a bowl, mix the eggs, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and milk together.  Whisk until its bubbly, cover and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes

2.  Cut the apple into slices.  if you want you can remove the skin, but i left it on.

3.  Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat.  Throw in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.  Stir until its bubbly, and the sugar has started to caramelize a little.  Cover with the apples, so the apples are evenly distributed over the sugary butter.  Toss the rum in, careful not to let it ignite.  (you could if you want to, and have a little Flambé action going on!)

4.  Pour the batter over all the apples, but do not stir.  Let it cook for about 30 seconds on top of the stove, and then put it in the oven for 15 minutes.  Do not open the oven at all during these 15 minutes, or it will deflate.

5.  Turn the oven down to 350° and let it bake for another 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and enjoy immediately!  You can eat this with syrup if you like, but the sweetness of the apples due to the caramelization is enough on its own, and it is extremely delicious on it’s own.

a perfect saturday breakfast

Jack is Cooking Tarts

Posted on by under almonds, apples, peaches, tarts

Well Hello Internet!

On this rainy sunday i decided to see if i could recreate some of the tartes we made in school at home.  except with a few of my own twists!

so i made a tarte in same style as a tarte bourdalou, except instead of pears i used peaches.

but i did everything the same, i poached the peaches and made an almond cream.  it was a little more difficult with peaches because they are a bit softer.  and unfortunately one of my peach halves got destroyed when i was trying to get it off of the stone, so i ended up with only 5 peach spokes instead of 6.  oh well, i bet its delicious still!

here it is before baking:

and after:

then i made a tarte aux pommes (apple tart).  for this tarte for the apple compote i used a sweeter apple so i wouldn’t have to use so much sugar.  i cooked it in goslings rum to give it some extra yummy flavor.  then since i had some almond cream left from the peach tarte, i put some of that on the bottom.

on top i used granny smith apples since they are nicely acidic.  i cut them up really thin, and arranged them in such a way that i was able to have three spinning layers instead of two.  it ended up looking pretty cool.

Here it is before baking:

and after:
and both together!:
mmm mmm delicious!

Jack is Cooking Pastries #1

Posted on by under almonds, apples, pastry, pears
Well Hello Internet!
so i have started at pastry school (at the French Culinary Institute in NY)  to learn how to professionally make all sorts delicious pastries!  after i learn how to make them awesomely i am going to attempt to make these all gluten free.  which so far, should be fairly east to do!  
anyways here are the first two things we made!
since this is the first time i am making these, and the recipes are most definitely not mine or altered in any way i won’t be posting the recipes until i play with them a bit, but i will be posting my progress throughout the course!!
The First is a Tarte Aux Pommes
this is a delicious tart with a pâte sucrée, apple compote, and sliced apples on top finished with an apricot glaze.   super delicious!  
The Second is a Tarte Bourdaloue
this tarte also has a pâte sucrée, filled with almond cream (super delicious) and topped with poached pears and sliced almonds, and finished with an apricot glaze.  
This might be the most delicious thing i have ever made.
oh man.  it makes me drool just looking at this picture.  stay tuned for more pastries!  i have class twice a week so i will be posing delicious pastries at least once a week for the next three months! 
mmmm mmmmm delicious!!!

Jack is Cooking Apple Pie

Posted on by under apples, cinnamon, flour, pie crust, sugar




today i am making apple pie

you will need
5 apples (peeled, cored, and cut. (i cut them into 16ths)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbspn flour
1 tbspn cinnamon
1 tspn nutmeg
1 tspn salt