Cinnamon and Maple Baked Apples

 
IT'S FAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL (!!!!!!)

Therefore apples apples apples apples apples apples apples apples apples apples apples apples and pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins! And cinnamon, and stews, and brown sugar caramel lattes to warm up frozen fingers at 7AM as college students travel to their morning classes.

I have a lot of energy and so much to say, but I'll keep it simple:
 
These apples are amazing.

You should eat them.

You brain will thank you.

That is all.
 

Cinnamon and Maple Baked Apples

Serves: 2 (can easily be changed to serve however many you want) 

Ingredients:

• 2 small Gala apples, washed
• 2/3c. water
• 1/3c. reduced sugar orange juice (such as Trop50)
• 1/4c. reduced sugar maple syrup
• Cinnamon for dusting

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Meanwhile, core the apples (being careful not to go all the way through to the bottom, because they need to hold the maple syrup), creating a cavity. Make sure all seeds are removed.
3. In a small, shallow oven-safe baking dish, combine orange juice and water. Set the apples, core-side up, in the baking dish. Fill each apple with 2tbl of the maple syrup (if the syrup overflows into the pan because the cavity is too small, no worries-- that just means more flavor in the cooking liquid!)
4. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until apples are quite tender. Remove from oven, and let cool for at least 7 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with cinnamon and top with 2tbl of the whipped topping. If you want an extra citrus punch, pour the cooking liquid over the apple too.

Nutrition Information
Sodium: 90mg
Total Fat: 0g
      Saturated: 0g
      Trans: 0g
Sugar: 32g
Protein: 0g
Calories: 154

Cinnamon Breakfast Bread

 

Who wants cake??

Often, I find that question isn't even a question at all. Sometimes, though, it's best when you have cake without it actually being "real" cake, you know? Because that means you can have it for breakfast or a snack or always every single moment of every day until it runs out and then you just make another one. 

You have just been introduced to my weekend in one sentence.

One of my favorite things is to sit down with coffee and some type of breakfast bread with a wonderful cake-like texture (whether it be sweet potato cinnamon, or cranberry orange-- hell, even good old-fashioned banana bread is great!) I actually just finished making two batches of banana bread. One was for work, and the other was for my roommate as an apology for eating all the pumpkin chocolate chip bread that her mother made us (I repent!).



All of the bread baking made me think of this Cinnamon Breakfast Bread, which was a huge hit back
when I was in high school. I brought it into my class and they flipped out over it (we were teenagers, it was food, and it was basically cake but healthier). I was the food girl in high school, because I was always bringing in test recipes and everyone knew I was either going to go into chef school or some type of food-related program. And here I am now, in Food Science and Human Nutrition. Biggggg surprise (to no one!).

Anyways. This bread cake whatever it is. This deliciousness. That's a good word for it. It's basically coffee cake, but with less saturated fat and some good old whole wheat. It's still that finger-licking, brown-sugar-loaded, melt-in-your-mouth favorite. Just healthier.

Who doesn't love yummy and healthy, am I right?

Cinnamon Breakfast Bread
Inspired by Star Tribune
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 3T packed brown sugar
• 3T sugar
• 1/2t cinnamon

• 1t apple cider vinegar
• 3/4c. light vanilla soymilk
• 1/4c. light margarine
• 3/4c sugar OR splenda
• 3T packed brown sugar
• 1/4t salt
• 1t vanilla
• 1 large egg + 1 egg white
• 2T applesauce
• 1/4c. + 2tbl nonfat vanilla yogurt
• 1c. all purpose flour 
• 3/4c. + 2T whole wheat flour
• 1.25t baking powder
• 3/4t baking soda

Instructions:  

1. In a small bowl, combine 3T brown sugar, 3T sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well and set aside. (This will be a filling).
2. Combine vinegar and soy milk, and set aside for at least ten minutes or until it looks slightly "foamy."
3. To make the cake, beat together the margarine, sugar, brown sugar, salt and vanilla until well combined and smooth. Add the egg, beating well. Add the apple sauce, soy milk mixture, and yogurt, and mix well.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat pastry flours, baking soda, and baking powder.
5. Add the flour mixture to the batter mixture alternately with the wet ingredient mixture, starting and ending with the flour.
6. Spoon half the batter into a 8x8 baking pan that has been coated with cooking spray, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle half the filling evenly over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the filling, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining filling. Take a thin knife and swirl random designs into the batter (great step for kids to do, parents!)
7. Bake the cake until it's a dark golden brown around the edges and springs back when pressed gently, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving and trying to remove.

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 133mg
Total Fat: 4g
      Saturated: 1g
      Trans: 1g
Sugar: 35g
Protein: 5g
Calories: 268