Name: gingerbread with brandied apples
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: Makes one high edged 9-inch springform cake
Ingredients: 1 cup (300 grams) blackstrap molasses; 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, packed; 1/2 cup (120 grams) granulated sugar; 1 cup (225 grams, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, and cooled slightly; 3 large eggs, room temperature; Zest of 1 orange; 3 1/4 cups (400 grams) all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking soda; 1 tablespoon ground ginger; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) just boiled water; 1/2 cup (100 grams) finely chopped crystallized ginger; Brandied Apples:; 5 baking apples, such as pink lady, honeycrisp; 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 grams) unsalted butter; 1/2 cup (120 grams) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Strips of lemon peel from 1 large lemon; 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 ml) brandy; 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 ml) lemon juice; 1/8 teaspoon salt

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From Ottolenghi’s Sweet, this dense, robust gingerbread recipe is topped with warm, perfect-for-Fall brandied apples.

I’m never been a big birthday person. I love your birthday. I’ll make you a cake. I’ll go to your party. I’ll even plan your party if you want me to! But, my own birthday. Not so much. This year was a bit of a whirlwind and we ended up going out with some friends to a cool bar/magic show in Hollywood, and then ventured out nearby for the rest of the night. It was a ton of fun!

Why am I talking about birthdays? Oh yeah! Because what did I pull out of my gift bag this year? copy of Ottolenghi’s new cookbook, Sweet. If you’ve cooked from, or have even flipped through the pages to ogle the photos, in Yotam Ottolenghi’s other books, Plenty, Plenty More, or Jerusalem, you’ll know he has a way of turning a mish mash of ingredients into the most visually vibrant and deceptively delicious dishes you can imagine. This time, the master chef is taking on the sweets world along with co-author Helen Goh, and you can probably guess that I was just a little pumped to get baking from this book.

As luck would have it, some blogger friends and I are celebrating the best of fall flavors today, which includes the Fall all-star…drum roll please…apples! The autumn favorite fruit is super versatile and I’m so excited to share a plethora of recipes for your perusal below. Whether you’re looking for sweet or savory, everyday or celebration, apples can fit the bill. For my contribution, I turned to my newest cookbook to see what Ottolenghi would do with apples.

Enter: Gingerbread with Brandied Apples. This gingerbread recipe yields a cake that is dark in color, dense in texture, and deep in flavor. There is a substantial ginger punch from ground ginger and spicy crystallized ginger. The hefty cup of blackstrap molasses gives it that robust, almost a little bitter flavor. Wondering what the difference between regular molasses and blackstrap molasses is? I got you! Check out these run-downs from Serious Eats and The Kitchn. To make the gingerbread extra special, we’re topping it with apples reduced in a brandy sauce. Honestly, you could just make the brandied apples and use them for an ice cream or yogurt topping and you would not be mad about it. In this case, the brandied apples give the gingerbread a little freshness as the juices seep into the cake’s crevices.

Look around on social for the hashtag #AisforalltheApples to discover all of the apple recipes in this virtual celebration or click through one of the links following the recipe to explore some of my favorite bloggers’ contributions!

gingerbread with brandied apples

October 22, 2017

by Butter Loves Company

Category breakfast and breads desserts and sweets eat

Persons

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Notes

Recipe from Ottolenghi's Sweet

Ingredients

1 cup (300 grams) blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup (120 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup (225 grams, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, and cooled slightly
3 large eggs, room temperature
Zest of 1 orange
3 1/4 cups (400 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) just boiled water
1/2 cup (100 grams) finely chopped crystallized ginger

Brandied Apples:

5 baking apples, such as pink lady, honeycrisp
3 1/2 tablespoons (50 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strips of lemon peel from 1 large lemon
3 1/2 tablespoons (50 ml) brandy
3 1/2 tablespoons (50 ml) lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a high-sided 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray, line with parchment paper, and then spray the parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the molasses, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, and orange zest. Stir with a rubber spatula until combined.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the flour mixture into the molasses mixture and stir to combine. Add the just-boiled water and stir to combine. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45–50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the pan and transferring to a serving plate.
Meanwhile, prepare the brandied apples. Peel and core the apples and cut into half-inch slices. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the apples and allow to sear for two minutes, stirring every so often. Remove the apples to a medium bowl (they will go back in shortly). In the saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Then add the sugar, vanilla, and lemon peel. Stir in the apples to coat and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the brandy, lemon juice, and salt and reduce for 3 minutes over medium-high heat, or until the sauce is thickened, but not caramelized.
To serve: slice the gingerbread and spoon some of the warm brandied apples on top. I think vanilla ice cream or whipped cream might be nice here as well.