Apple Pudding March 27, 2007

 

Apple pudding and vanilla ice cream… reminds me of fall on the farm, hay bales and the nip of frost in the air. Wait a minute… apple pudding? What about apple pie?

 

Apple pie is truely a yummy treat. But, it involves making a pie crust, which has loads of fat in it and is a pain to make. I don’t mind making them, but they’re not the “Hay, I have apples going soft, let’s make something up real fast” kind of dessert. But apple pudding – now that is an apple-icious yumminess of a much easier nature.

I found this recipe in a 1940’s era Workbasket magazine a few years ago. I don’t remember which issue or which year for sure, but I do remember looking through and reading the recipes (and being yucked out by most of them) and then seeing this gem. Pudding though? I mean, how am I going to make apples into the consistency of vanilla pudding without making apple sauce first? As the base ingredients sounded good, I gave it a go and rediscovered the wonders of the old-fashioned pudding. Of course, I added to it a bit, a few more spices, maybe some additional blueberries or other fruit – but the base is the same in all its pudding goodness.

A near cobbler-like texture with the flavor of a pie, it combined all of things I love most about pudding and left out the things that I dislike. First, it’s just good. Then, the texture is doughy without being heavy, has no added fats as it completely lacks any crust and has no milk – a big bonus for me (loverly lactose issues…). Hubby loves it so much that he has decided that it is a breakfast food and whatever I do make, doesn’t last long.

 

 

Apple Pudding

 

2/3 c. sugar

1/3 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/8 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 c. chopped nuts (I use pecans)

1 egg – beaten well

1 t. vanilla

2 c grated apples (I core and leave the peel on, then give it a whirl in my mini-processor)

 

Mix dry ingredients. Stir in nuts to coat. Add wet ingredients. Place in to a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole dish (without the lid). Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until knife placed into center comes out clean and the edges are golden and starting to pull away from the dish.

 

Note: I have successfully added 1 cup of frozen blueberries to the apples (3 c. fruit total) and it has come out extra yummy. I would imagine that other fruit that complements apples would work as well. Enjoy!