I’ve officially checked out of winter weather.
In true Texas fashion, last week was bright and sunny, with the temperature resting in the 80s. It was gorgeous… We spent the last hours of sunlight after work sitting on the porch, drinking spontaneous sunny weather inspired margaritas after months of red wine to go along with the cold, damp, dark winter months.
This week, we’ll go back to cold and rainy. And I’ll go back to missing our dreaded summer months of triple digit temperatures, knowing full well that by July I’ll be longing for pumpkins and scarves and hearty soups. But that’s the vicious cycle of our first world weather problems, isn’t it? We’re content for a brief window of time, then we start longing for the fruits of another season.
And I’m longing for that spring garden filled with aromatic fresh basil and tomatoes for days, the green front yard that requires mowing more than once a quarter, and the annual helluva sunburn at my in-law’s pool.
That’s why I made apple cake.
I used to not be crazy about fruit desserts. My theory was, why try to add even the teensiest bit of health to something that is laden with butter and sugar? If you’re going to make something sinfully caloric, go for the gold and forego the nutrition. Give me the cake doused in a buttery icing, the cookies full of chunks of more sugar, something made of chocolate – covered in chocolate.
I have since learned that is a dangerously fat American stance on food, and now realize I’ve been missing out on the sweet, fresh, bright flavors of nature’s bounty. And fruit has all of the magical goodness that can rescue you from your diet of heavy, hearty meals, and bring you into the glory of light, decadent, luscious freshness.
I chose an apple cake recipe from Dorie Greenspan. It’s a whole lotta apples with just a little bit of batter. I initially had my doubts before I popped it in the oven, but what greeted me after a bit of a jaunt at 350 degrees was a crisp, rich, fresh cake that I couldn’t keep my hands off.
I chose to top it with a whipped creme fraiche. The best description of creme fraiche that I’ve read compared it to a thicker, richer, French-er version of sour cream, with a hint more sweetness. When whipped with a bit of vanilla and powdered sugar, it creates a light whipped cream concoction that has a bit of tartness to it, complementing the sweet, crunchy apples of the cake.
I wasn’t able to find creme fraiche at my local grocery store, which was fortunate, because I had all of the ingredients to make it myself at home, and for a fraction of the cost. A cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of buttermilk, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Sit over night, covered in the fridge. Whip the next day with powdered sugar.
We ate this for breakfast, as a mid-day snack, as a midnight snack, we ate it all. It was the sunshine-laden meal I was craving as a down-with-winter sweet.
We ate this for breakfast, as a mid-day snack, as a midnight snack, we ate it all. It was the sunshine-laden meal I was craving as a down-with-winter sweet.
