French Apple Cobbler

Another recipe from the old McCalls cookbook. Don't know why this is called French apple cobbler as cobblers are not usual in French cuisine. Without a doubt, the best apple cobbler recipe I've ever made.

Daughter Nicole once made this for a Thanksgiving potluck. She had to wait until the turkey was finished before she could bake the cobbler. When she went to put the the dish in the oven, the cobbler had been eaten...raw...and every bit was gone. Now with the recipe online, she will have it wherever she may be in the world.

French Apple Cobbler

Filling:

5 cups of peeled, sliced apples (Golden Delicious apples are the best choice)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp soft butter (to dot top of apples once in baking dish)

Batter (for topping):

1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp soft butter
1 egg, slightly beaten


Preheat over to 375*.

Make filling:

In medium bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and 1/4 cup water.
Put into baking dish*. Dot tops of apples with tbsps soft butter.

*I usually use a round 1 quart or 1 and 1/2 quart casserole.


Make batter:

In medium bowl, combine all batter ingredients; beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Drop batter in 9 portions on the apples, spacing evenly. Batter will spread during baking.


Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until apples are fork tender and crust is golden-brown.
Serve warm or cold. Wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of cream...or simply plain.

Chocolate Mousse With a Secret

My sister and I have been making this chocolate mousse recipe for years. Whenever my sister has an invitation to a potluck or progressive dinner, this is the recipe her friends want her to make.

The recipe comes from the 1963 edition of McCalls Cookbook. It is so easy and so delicious. My husband thinks it is the best mousse ever...and this is a man who lived in Europe for nearly 15 years and has sampled many, many chocolate mousses. It is has a lovely light texture but is richly chocolaty.

I have made one change to the original recipe. Over the years chickens have been programmed to produce eggs the size of hand grenades and it seems as if amount of the egg white in the egg was dramatically larger. I found that in using the called for number of egg whites, I was getting a mousse that was simply too light in texture. I began buying large eggs only (and looking through the cartons to find the ones with the smallest eggs). I continue to use the original number of egg yolks, but reducing the amount of whites if it seems as if there is just way to much volume after beating them. Usually I eliminate one large spoonful or a bit more.

Serve the mousse in a large bowl and let guests serve themselves or serve individual champagne or sorbet glasses. Top with whipped cream and even a raspberry or two.

Oh...the secret? The addition of coffee which intensifies the chocolate taste!


Chocolate Mousse With A Secret

6 oz chocolate chips (I use Nestles)
2 tsp instant coffee
½ cup sugar divided in half
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites

Melt chocolate, coffee (dissolved in 2 tbsp. water) and ¼ cup sugar.

Stir constantly over low heat until chocolate has melted and sugar dissolved.

Beat until smooth. Cool slightly and add vanilla

Beat in egg yolks one at a time beating well after each addition

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. A small pinch of cream of tartar will help the eggs form peaks as will have the eggs at room temperature.

Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar one tablespoon at a time.

Beat well after each addition.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. (At this point you might eliminate a spoonful of the beaten whites)

Scoop a small amount of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Stir. This lightens the chocolate mixture and makes the next step easier.

Scoop egg whites into chocolate mixture and gently fold until combined. Do not stir nor beat.

Pour/scoop into serving dish or dishes. Serves 6.

Chill.

Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Can be made a day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. This recipe can be doubled without problem.

Make it fast. Make it easy. Make it delicious

I love to cook...and to eat. Although I grew up on a farm in Idaho, my life has taken me far and wide and given me an opportunity to sample different cuisines in the United States and around the world.

Today it seems that so many people don't have time to cook (although many have almost professional kitchens). Or don't want to cook. But I wanted to share recipes that are (for the most part) quick and easy to make and are delicious.

My recipes are from a wide variety of sources: the A a Zed cookbook that a traveling salesman sold to me when I was living outside of Paris, an old McCalls cookbook that my sister gave me as a wedding present, recipes from family and friends, from Gourmet and Bon Appetite magazines, from my around-the-world collection of cookbooks and the incredible website, epicurious.com. These are all recipes I've made again and again. They've never failed. They've always been easy to make and delicious to eat!!!!