Tis the season of the Apple!

apple

Here are some “did you knows” about apples…

  1. Did you know, apples help to build muscle due to the abundance of vitamins and minerals, essential nutrients present in the delicious fruit.
  2. Did you know, apples contain fiber and flavonoids to help fight cancers.
  3. Did you know, apples have antioxidants that help to keep your skin young and healthy.
  4. Did you know, apples contain Vitamins C, K, and B6 and these vitamins are immune system boosters which help you feel good and energetic.
  5. Did you know, that due to the fiber content, the apple helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.
  6. and finally, Did you know, the acids found in apple peel (see here for a terrific recipe for Apple Twigs which uses the healthy peel) build muscle and help reduce body fat.

There you have it. So…did YOU know?

A recipe sent to me by SkinnyMs.  This dessert, snack, easy to make treat is perfect for fall and all those deliciously healthy apples you’ll by buying from the local orchard.

From SkinnyMs

Applesauce-Cake-Grandmas

Are you crunched for time, on a tight budget or just starving for healthy meal ideas? You will find delicious, healthy choices for you and your family at SkinnyMs.com. Skinny Ms. offers recipes made with natural, whole food ingredients. Skinny Ms. is devoted to providing information and tools that empower one to make choices beneficial to living a healthy lifestyle.  For our latest recipes, join us on Facebook.

 

A moist cake without all the refined ingredients and gooey icing, give Grandma’s recipe a try.

Grandma’s Applesauce Spice Cake

Yields: 10 servings | Calories: 307 | Total Fat: 12 gm | Saturated Fats: 3 gm | Trans Fats: 0 gm | Cholesterol: 26 mg | Sodium: 369 mg | Carbohydrates: 40 gm | Dietary fiber: 8 gm | Sugars: 20 gm |Protein: 3 gm

 

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups flour (you can also substitute White Whole Wheat)
  • 1 2/3 cup sugar (you might use sucanat; coconut palm sugar, either one works well)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (Apple crumbles used ginger since my mother is allergic to cinnamon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves (Apple crumbles used 1/4 tsp. nutmeg instead of cloves)
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 sweet apple, cored, peeled and chopped into 1/4″ pieces (I used Gala)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1 cup raisins (optional)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups natural applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil (can use unrefined coconut oil (melted and cooled slightly), canola oil will also work)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9″ x 13″ cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and the apples, whisk well to combine. If using walnuts or raisins, add and toss in with dry ingredients. Set aside dry ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, whisk until combined.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir with a large spoon to incorporate. Pour into cake pan and bake 45 – 50 (check after 45 minutes) minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

This cake is best when completely cooled and even better the next day.

NOTE: Grandma’s recipe called for 2 cups white sugar. Of course, we use an unrefined sweetener and reduced the sugar by 1/3 cup. Feel free to reduce it even more, maybe to 1 1/2 cups. Although I think it has just the right amount of sweetness. Since this is a dessert recipe, you can expect it to have some type of sweetener, which in turn has added carbs and sugars. This, like any dessert, is meant to be an occasional treat!

The result in my mother’s kitchen:  SUCCESS!  We all enjoyed a hefty piece of this spiced cake because, even though the temperature in S.C. is still in the 80’s, we wanted to get into the Fall spirit!

So good!

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